Belén Garijo took over French drugmaker Sanofi with the urgent task of finding a successor to its blockbuster drug Dupixent. Her predecessor, Paul Hudson, was ousted after failing to deliver new treatments. Garijo has already jettisoned 20 older medicines, replaced the head of R&D, and brokered an $8bn deal with Regeneron.
However, investors warn the company is running out of time as Dupixent faces patent expiry in the early 2030s. Analysts suggest Sanofi should focus on acquiring ready-made medicines rather than relying on internal discovery. The company raised research spending to €7.8bn but faced major pipeline setbacks, including the failure of eczema drug Amlitelimab and multiple sclerosis drug Tolebrutinib.
Garijo, a former Merck KGaA chief, is expected to outline her strategy at the upcoming third-quarter earnings.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing