Sanofi-Aventis (also known as Sanofi, or Sanofi S.A.) is a French multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Gentilly, France. Formed by a 3-month bidding battle in 2004 that resulted in the merger of the companies Aventis and Sanofi-Synthélabo, themselves both the result of numerous prior pharmaceutical mergers, the company changed its name to Sanofi in 2011 after acquiring the Genzyme Corporation. The company holds U.S. affiliate companies Sanofi Pasteur (vaccines), Sanofi Genzyme (specialty care), Chattem (consumer healthcare), and Winthrop (generics). From Sanofi-Aventis’s creation in 1973 until 2007, Jean-François Dehecq served as the company’s general manager. At present, its chairman and CEO is Olivier Brandicourt, with its stockholder share ownership breakdown as follows: 8.93% ownership by L'Oréal, 0.27% attributed to treasury shares, 1.3% employee ownership, and the remaining 89.49% of stockholder shares traded publicly.
The company’s public mission statement touts its core strengths as their worldwide presence, marketing leadership in the vaccinations field, production of major biologic products, and as a company with a 100+ year history, their established presence in emerging markets. Tangentially, the company also has lesser holdings in animal health products, consumer health products, and generic drug production. Coming from humble beginnings, the company originated in 1928 as Rhône-Poulenc, producing textiles, medications, and chemicals. By 1970, the company expanded to research and development through the acquisition of two laboratories, Laboratoires Dausse and Laboratories Robert & Carrière. Subsequent mergers in 1973, 1999, 2004, and 2011 provided the company the opportunity to reinvent itself as a diversified global healthcare company “...using innovation to meet the needs of patients.”
Today, the company is known worldwide as a leading company in the research, development, and production of pharmaceutical drugs. Sanofi products concentrate primarily on seven therapeutic subsets: oncology (cancer treatments), vaccinations, thrombosis treatments, internal medicine advancements, central nervous system treatments, cardiovascular products, and diabetic medications. Leading Sanofi-Aventis products include Taxotere, a popular breast cancer chemo drug; Ambien, a common sleep aid; the blood thinner Plavix; and Auvi-Q/Allerject auto-injector epinephrine pens, which was recalled in 2015. Sanofi also produces over-the-counter treatments Allegra, used to treat allergies, and Maalox, a common antacid. In the U.S., Sanofi is perhaps best known for being the manufacturer of the controversial breast cancer chemotherapy medication Taxotere, which is currently embroiled in over 1,000 lawsuits for its failure to warn users about the drug’s signature injury, permanent alopecia (hair loss.) These lawsuits come hot on the heels of other Sanofi litigation, including an antitrust violation settlement in its vaccinations subsidiary and whistleblower suits over marketing kickbacks and price fixing for its diabetes drugs.
