Treating Diseases

The role of chemistry in our daily lives

Developing new drugs:

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and metformin are widely used to treat pain, inflammation, and type 2 diabetes. These medicines are based on small molecules developed through advances in chemistry.

Enabling new treatments:

mRNA vaccines, gene therapies, targeted treatments: Chemistry creates invisible “vehicles” that deliver the treatment and release it in the right place at the right time.

Detecting diseases earlier, monitoring them more accurately:

MRI: making medical images easier to read
In the operating room: helping surgeons perform procedures with precision using dyes that make certain areas more visible.

Healing and regenerating the body:

Absorbable surgical sutures, “gel” dressings that promote healing, and implants designed to be accepted by the body and enable permanent bonding with bone.

Help advance research

Discoveries in Strasbourg that have paved the way

Treating lupus

Sylviane Muller, winner of the CNRS Innovation Medal Co-founder of Immupharma (listed on the London and Brussels stock exchanges)

In Strasbourg, an idea that originated in the lab has made its way to clinical trials: a peptide discovered by Sylviane Muller has advanced to Phase III trials for the treatment of lupus, which affects more than 5 million people. And because science sometimes holds wonderful surprises, P140 has shown potential beyond lupus, with encouraging results in models of other inflammatory diseases, including Sjögren’s syndrome, IBD, gout, asthma, periodontitis, etc. This offers hope to people living with these diseases and others.

Pediatric heart valves

Jean-Marie Lehn, 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry 4 startups founded (Normoxys, In Cell Art, AC Immune, ALSATECH)

A new technology, developed by the European company Xeltis, that draws on Jean-Marie Lehn’s research to manufacture cardiovascular implants made of polymers that adapt as children grow before being naturally absorbed by the body. This fundamental research conducted in Strasbourg has already helped save the lives of more than 30 children worldwide.

Vaccines & Therapies

Jean-Paul Behr, Member of the French Academy of Sciences Founder of Polyplus-transfection

Jean-Paul Behr’s discoveries in chemistry paved the way for the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and gene therapies that are now saving millions of lives. This visionary chemist's research led to the creation of Polyplus, a Strasbourg-based company that has become a key player in biotechnology and was acquired by Sartorius for 2.4 billion euros in 2023. As he pursued his research in Strasbourg, he likely never imagined that his discoveries would one day help save millions of lives.
The methods he developed to deliver DNA and RNA into cells are now at the heart of mRNA vaccines, which changed the course of the pandemic, as well as gene and cell therapies that offer new hope to patients with rare diseases and cancer.

Better cancer treatment

Alain Wagner, founder or co-founder of 5 startups (Novalyst Discovery, now Novalix; PhytoDia; eNovalys; Syndivia; Microomix)

In Alain Wagner’s laboratory in Strasbourg, one idea drives everything: targeting tumors with precision while minimizing the impact on patients. His work in chemistry enables the development of more precisely controlled antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), “vectors” that can turn toxic potency into targeted attacks. These advances led to the creation of Syndivia in 2014, with the aim of translating laboratory-based evidence into a new generation of targeted therapies.
Today, the startup is developing a preclinical program for prostate cancer and reached a milestone in 2025 with an agreement signed with a leading pharmaceutical company. The goal is clear: greater efficacy, better tolerability, and ultimately, a more manageable day-to-day life for patients.