# David Saadoun
**David Saadoun** is a French physician-scientist in internal medicine and clinical immunology, professor at the Faculté de Santé of Sorbonne Université and hospital practitioner in the internal medicine department of Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière in Paris.[1](https://fc.sorbonne-universite.fr/corps_enseignant/david-saadoun/) According to the AP-HP, he is listed in the Département de médecine interne et immunologie clinique at Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47-83 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris.[2](https://www.aphp.fr/pr-saadoun-david) His research centers on cryoglobulinemic vasculitis linked to hepatitis C and on Behçet's syndrome, and he leads phase II and III trials of targeted immunotherapy in these and related systemic diseases.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Position | Professor of internal medicine and clinical immunology, Sorbonne Université; hospital practitioner, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière (AP-HP)[1](https://fc.sorbonne-universite.fr/corps_enseignant/david-saadoun/) |
| Hospital rank | PUPH (full professor-physician) in systemic diseases and vasculitis[3](http://etablissements.fhf.fr/annuaire/member/structure2048-establishment5783-service39397-member117470) |
| Reference center | Head of CEREMAIA, the reference center for autoinflammatory diseases and inflammatory amyloidosis, at Pitié-Salpêtrière[4](https://pitiesalpetriere.aphp.fr/centre-de-reference-constitutif-des-maladies-auto-inflammatoires-de-lamylose-inflammatoire-ceremaia/) |
| Research team | Leads the autoimmune and inflammatory diseases team within the i3/UMRS959 unit (Sorbonne Université/Inserm)[5](https://www.hceres.fr/sites/default/files/media/publications/rapports_evaluations/pdf/D2025-EV-0755890V-DER-ER-DER-PUR250024395-SVE4-I3-RF.pdf) |
| Doctorate | 2007 thesis on T lymphocytes in HCV-associated autoimmunity[6](http://theses.fr/2007PA066172) |
| Signature work | *Behçet's Syndrome*, New England Journal of Medicine, 2024;390(7):640-651[7](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra2305712) |
| Landmark trial | ITAC (2024): infliximab 81% vs cyclophosphamide 56% complete response at week 22 in severe Behçet disease[8](https://www.aphp.fr/espace-medias/liste-ressources-presse/des-premiers-resultats-encourageants-dans-la-prise-en-charge) |
## Career and appointments
His 2007 doctoral thesis (record 2007PA066172) studied T lymphocytes in autoimmunity associated with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It documented a quantitative deficit of blood regulatory T cells (Tregs) in HCV vasculitis that was corrected under treatment only in patients with a complete response, and on that basis proposed a therapeutic protocol using low-dose interleukin-2, a cytokine essential to Treg homeostasis, in active HCV-positive vasculitis.[6](http://theses.fr/2007PA066172) The thesis also notes that HCV-related vasculitides affect 1 to 5% of patients infected with HCV.[6](http://theses.fr/2007PA066172)
He now holds the rank of PUPH (professeur des Universités, praticien hospitalier) in systemic diseases and vasculitis at AP-HP Hôpital Universitaire Pitié Salpêtrière.[3](http://etablissements.fhf.fr/annuaire/member/structure2048-establishment5783-service39397-member117470) He leads the clinical research team on vasculitis and inflammatory diseases within the Inserm U959 laboratory.[9](http://www.maladiesautoimmunes.com/espace-recherche/equipe-de-recherche/)
## Research on cryoglobulinemic vasculitis
Immunopathological work with the laboratory's immunology group established the major role of regulatory T lymphocytes in the pathophysiology of HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia vasculitis.[10](https://www.transimmunom.fr/en/Member/IMCIDpt) On the therapeutic side, he led the VASCUVALDIC study of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for HCV-associated cryoglobulinaemia vasculitis, published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases in 2016 (75(10):1777-1782).[10](https://www.transimmunom.fr/en/Member/IMCIDpt) According to the Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology Department (Pitié), he also co-authored international diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for HCV-related extrahepatic manifestations in Autoimmunity Reviews (2016, 2017) and evidence-based management recommendations in Journal of Hepatology (2017;66(6):1282-1299).[10](https://www.transimmunom.fr/en/Member/IMCIDpt)
The anti-CD20 line of therapy continues in the CRYOBI trial.
## Behçet's syndrome
His immunopathology work in [Behçet's disease](https://www.edgepedia.org/behcets-disease) demonstrated the critical role of IL-21 in modulating Th17 and regulatory T cells.[10](https://www.transimmunom.fr/en/Member/IMCIDpt) He coordinated the phase II ITAC trial (Induction Therapy With Anti-TNFα vs [Cyclophosphamide](https://www.edgepedia.org/cyclophosphamide) in Severe Behçet Disease), run in 21 centers across France in patients aged 12 and over.[8](https://www.aphp.fr/espace-medias/liste-ressources-presse/des-premiers-resultats-encourageants-dans-la-prise-en-charge) Corticosteroids plus infliximab produced a complete response at week 22 in 81% of patients, against 56% with the standard corticosteroids plus cyclophosphamide; relapse risk was 16% versus 4%, and adverse events 30% versus 64%.[8](https://www.aphp.fr/espace-medias/liste-ressources-presse/des-premiers-resultats-encourageants-dans-la-prise-en-charge) He is also the contact for the UVB trial, a multicentre randomised study comparing adalimumab with tocilizumab in severe uveitis of Behçet's disease, with complete ocular remission on prednisone at 5 mg/day or less at week 16 as the primary endpoint.[12](https://gmio.fr/projet-de-recherche/maladie-de-behcet/)
## INSERM U959 and the reference center
The i3 unit (Immunologie-Immunopathologie-Immunothérapie, UMRS959) of Sorbonne Université/Inserm was created in 2009 for translational immunology research in autoimmune and infectious diseases and cancer, on the Pitié-Salpêtrière medical campus. The unit's translational research includes the development of low-dose IL-2 therapy in strong association with the biotech ILTOO Pharma.[5](https://www.hceres.fr/sites/default/files/media/publications/rapports_evaluations/pdf/D2025-EV-0755890V-DER-ER-DER-PUR250024395-SVE4-I3-RF.pdf)
The department holds large cohorts of rare autoimmune and inflammatory diseases: more than 600 Behçet patients, 300 with mixed cryoglobulinemia vasculitis, 250 with Gougerot-Sjögren, 200 with temporal arteritis, 150 with Takayasu arteritis, 150 with [Buerger disease](https://www.edgepedia.org/thromboangiitis-obliterans), and 100 with Churg-Strauss, together with a biobank of frozen serum and cells.[10](https://www.transimmunom.fr/en/Member/IMCIDpt)
In the reference-center system, Saadoun is responsible for CEREMAIA, the center for autoinflammatory diseases and inflammatory amyloidosis, which covers Behçet's disease, relapsing polychondritis, extrapulmonary sarcoidosis, uveitis, and systemic vasculitides; Orphanet lists him as coordinator and expert clinician of that center.[4](https://pitiesalpetriere.aphp.fr/centre-de-reference-constitutif-des-maladies-auto-inflammatoires-de-lamylose-inflammatoire-ceremaia/) • [13](https://www.orpha.net/fr/expert-centres/centre/496377?orphaCode=496377) According to the hospital's own pages, the [Île-de-France](https://www.edgepedia.org/ile-de-france) reference center for rare systemic autoimmune diseases covers cryoglobulinemia among other conditions.[14](https://pitiesalpetriere.aphp.fr/centre-de-reference-constitutif-des-maladies-auto-immunes-systemiques-rares-dile-de-france/)
## Representative work
His 2024 review *Behçet's Syndrome*, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 14 February 2024 (390(7):640-651, doi:10.1056/nejmra2305712), covers the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical expression, and differential diagnosis of Behçet's syndrome, as well as targeted therapeutics.[7](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra2305712)
## Recent developments
According to AP-HP, the ITAC results were published on 22 October 2024 in NEJM Evidence.[8](https://www.aphp.fr/espace-medias/liste-ressources-presse/des-premiers-resultats-encourageants-dans-la-prise-en-charge) In 2024 he led phase III trials on corticosteroid-dependent uveitis, [IgG4-related disease](https://www.edgepedia.org/igg4-related-disease), and giant cell arteritis, following phase II trials on non-infectious uveitis and Behçet's uveitis in 2023.[1](https://fc.sorbonne-universite.fr/corps_enseignant/david-saadoun/) He is among the authors of the 2025 EULAR recommendations for the management of Behçet's syndrome, a task force comprising 29 members from 11 countries.[15](https://repository.monashhealth.org/monashhealthjspui/handle/1/58482) The CRYOBI obinutuzumab trial registry entry was updated on 25 November 2025.[11](https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT07268521)
## References
1. [David Saadoun - Formation Continue Sorbonne Université](https://fc.sorbonne-universite.fr/corps_enseignant/david-saadoun/)
2. [Pr DAVID SAADOUN MEDECINE INTERNE | APHP](https://www.aphp.fr/pr-saadoun-david)
3. [Pr DAVID SAADOUN | FHF](http://etablissements.fhf.fr/annuaire/member/structure2048-establishment5783-service39397-member117470)
4. [CEREMAIA - Hôpitaux Universitaires Pitié Salpêtrière](https://pitiesalpetriere.aphp.fr/centre-de-reference-constitutif-des-maladies-auto-inflammatoires-de-lamylose-inflammatoire-ceremaia/)
5. [Rapport d'évaluation - i3 (UMRS959), HCERES 2025](https://www.hceres.fr/sites/default/files/media/publications/rapports_evaluations/pdf/D2025-EV-0755890V-DER-ER-DER-PUR250024395-SVE4-I3-RF.pdf)
6. [Lymphocytes T et autoimmunité associée au VHC (thesis record)](http://theses.fr/2007PA066172)
7. [Behçet's Syndrome - New England Journal of Medicine](https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra2305712)
8. [Des premiers résultats encourageants dans la prise en charge de la maladie de Behçet | APHP](https://www.aphp.fr/espace-medias/liste-ressources-presse/des-premiers-resultats-encourageants-dans-la-prise-en-charge)
9. [Equipe de recherche vascularites et maladies inflammatoires](http://www.maladiesautoimmunes.com/espace-recherche/equipe-de-recherche/)
10. [Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology Department (Pitié)](https://www.transimmunom.fr/en/Member/IMCIDpt)
11. [CRYOBI: Obinutuzumab in non-infectious active cryoglobulinemia vasculitis refractory or intolerant to rituximab](https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT07268521)
12. [Maladie de Behçet – GMIO](https://gmio.fr/projet-de-recherche/maladie-de-behcet/)
13. [Orphanet: Centre de référence des maladies auto-inflammatoires et de l'amylose inflammatoire](https://www.orpha.net/fr/expert-centres/centre/496377?orphaCode=496377)
14. [Centre de référence constitutif des maladies auto-immunes systémiques rares d'Île-de-France](https://pitiesalpetriere.aphp.fr/centre-de-reference-constitutif-des-maladies-auto-immunes-systemiques-rares-dile-de-france/)
15. [EULAR recommendations for the management of Behçet's syndrome: 2025 update](https://repository.monashhealth.org/monashhealthjspui/handle/1/58482)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Life and health scientists › Medical and health researchers › Immunology and allergy researchers › Autoimmunity and clinical immunology researchers*
*Initially written Sep 21, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 25, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license