A Life in Science: The role of data in advancing medicines

New in our A Life in Science series, we hear from Audrey Clapéron, Translational Biology Director, about the essential role of data in driving discovery forward. She shares how leading a team of pharmacologists and delivering high-quality evidence for clinical development keeps her motivated and close to the patients who may one day benefit.

“Data are clearly at the basis of everything. They provide evidence for decision-making in an objective way, and so they are very important for the project,” says Audrey Clapéron, Translational Biology Director at Ipsen. 

Her work centers on ensuring that projects are driven by reliable results. “My everyday life is to make sure that all the pharmacological data are provided to the project. I’m also leading a team of in-vivo and in-vitro pharmacologists.” 

Those data are not abstract—they are essential to moving discoveries forward. “We are very close to the patient because we are providing evidence and data for clinical development, and so the patients are almost right here.” 

That sense of closeness to patients drives how Audrey and her team handle challenges. “When things get complex and challenging, I always come back to the key priorities for the project—to provide new, innovative medicine to the patients, make some prioritization if needed, communicate with the team, and provide a vision so they can work efficiently for the project to move forward.” 

Audrey’s perspective highlights why data are more than information—they are the evidence that allows medicines to progress, with patients always in sight.