Ernest Fourneau

Ernest Fourneau, born October 4, 1872 in Biarritz and died August 5, 1949 in Ascain, is a French chemist and pharmacologist, founder of French therapeutic chemistry. Director of the scientific research department of the Poulenc Frères establishments (1903-1911), head of the department of the therapeutic chemistry laboratory of the Pasteur Institute (1911-1944), director of a research laboratory in Rhône-Poulenc (1946-1949), we owe to him, among other things, the discovery of Stovaïne, the first synthetic local anesthetic, the development of Stovarsol, an antisyphilitic derived from arsenic, and the elucidation of the structure of Suramin, effective against sleeping sickness. He must also be credited with the discovery of the therapeutic properties of sulfonamides, the result of research carried out under his direction.