Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris. The corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Synthélabo merged with Aventis and renamed to Sanofi-Aventis, which were each the product of several previous mergers. It changed its name back to Sanofi in May 2011. The company trades as "SAN" on Euronext Paris and "SNY" on Nasdaq in the United States, and is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.[2] In 2023, the company’s seat in the Forbes Global 2000 was 89.[3] Sanofi engages in the research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmacological products, principally in the prescription market, but the firm also develops over-the-counter medications. The corporation covers seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, central nervous system, diabetes, internal medicine, oncology, thrombosis, and vaccines. It is the world's largest producer of vaccines through its subsidiary Sanofi Pasteur.[4]
History
Sanofi-Synthélabo
Sanofi was founded on February 15, 1973[5] as a subsidiary of Elf Aquitaine (a French oil company subsequently acquired by Total), when Elf Aquitaine took control of the Labaz group, a pharmaceutical company formed in 1947 by Sociéte Belge de l'Azote et des Produits Chimiques du Marly.[6] Labaz had developed benziodarone in 1957.[7]
In 1993, Sanofi made a move into the Eastern Europe market by acquiring a controlling interest in Chinoin, a Hungarian drug company whose 1992, sales totaled about US$104 million.[8][9]
Products
The following products are listed on the Sanofi Genzyme website. Generic drug names are given in parentheses following the brand name.
– Autoimmune
Product recall and effects: The epinephrine (adrenaline) auto-injection devices made by Sanofi SA currently on the market in the US and Canada were voluntarily recalled on 28 October 2015.[113][114] The reason given by Sanofi was that the products had been found to potentially have inaccurate dosage delivery systems, which might include failure to deliver the drugs.[115][116]
Sanofi US also added the following warning: If a patient experiencing a serious allergic reaction (i.e., anaphylaxis) did not receive the intended dose, there could be significant health consequences, including death, because anaphylaxis is a potentially life‑threatening condition.[115]
Head office
In January 2012, Sanofi moved its head office location to 54, Rue La Boétie in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. This former mansion designed by architect René-Patouillard had previously been the head office of Alcatel-Lucent.
Sanofi's previous head office was located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, at 174 Avenue de France. The architecture of the head office is of the predominant style of the area surrounding the François Mitterrand Library. After Sanofi and Aventis merged, the employees at the former Aventis head office in Schiltigheim, Alsace, moved to Paris.[139]
In November 2022, Sanofi moved into its new global headquarters in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, at 46-48 Avenue de la Grande Armée.[140][141]
Collaborative research
In addition to internal research and development activities, Sanofi is also involved in publicly funded collaborative research projects, with other industrial and academic partners. One example in the area of non-clinical safety assessment is the InnoMed PredTox project[142][143] The company is expanding its activities in joint research projects within the framework of the Innovative Medicines Initiative of EFPIA and the European Commission.[144]
In June 2010, Sanofi and the Charité University of Berlin signed a cooperation agreement for the research and development of medicines and therapies.[145]
On 25 October 2012, Sanofi said its earnings for the third quarter slumped, as generic competitors ate into profits from its Eloxatin cancer treatment.[146]
Sanofi Pasteur
In 2005, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi Group, was awarded a $97 Million United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contract.[148]
BCG supply shortage 2012–2014
In 2011, a Sanofi Pasteur plant flooded, causing it problems with mold.[149] The facility, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, produced BCG vaccine products, made with the Glaxo 1077 strain,[150] such as a tuberculosis vaccine ImmuCYST, a BCG Immunotherapeutic, a bladder cancer drug. By April 2012, the FDA had found dozens of documented problems with sterility at the plant, including mold, nesting birds, and rusted electrical conduits.[149] The plant was closed for over two years, resulting in shortages of bladder cancer and tuberculosis vaccines.
Opella
Opella is the former Consumer Healthcare (CHC) division of Sanofi, established as an independent company headquartered in France on April 30, 2025.[162] Its formation followed the sale of a 50.0% controlling stake by Sanofi to the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). Sanofi retained a significant 48.2% minority shareholding, while the French public investment bank Bpifrance acquired a 1.8% stake.[163] The transaction provided Sanofi with approximately €10 billion in net cash proceeds.[164]
Associations
Sanofi is a full member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA),[165] the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO),[166] and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).[167]
Sanofi's vaccine subsidiary, Sanofi Pasteur, is a member of EuropaBio.[168]
In June 2021, Sanofi partnered with Capgemini, Orange & Generali to launch Future4care, an all-European start-up accelerator centered on digital health.[169]
Aventis Foundation
The Aventis Foundation, a German charitable trust, was established in 1996, as the Hoechst Foundation, with an endowment of €50 million. In 2000, the foundation was renamed the Aventis Foundation. The foundation promotes cultural and scientific projects, specifically focused on the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area.[171]
See also
- Amgen Inc v. Sanofi, a United States Supreme Court case on patent enablement
- Sanofi Biogenius Canada
External links
- Adagene & Sanofi Collaboration: Deal Structure & Clinical Strategy Analysis (January 2026) – Deep dive into the $25M investment terms and masking technology.
References
- Annual Report 2024 (Form 20-F) U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2025-02-13^
- Börse Frankfurt (Frankfurt Stock Exchange): Stock market quotes, charts and news boerse-frankfurt.de, retrieved 23 May 2017^
- The Global 2000 2023