Image Credit: Adobe Stock Images/Rarrarorro.com
Sanofi is investing over $1 billion toward the creation of new bioproduction capacity at its sites in Vitry-sur-Seine (Val de Marne), Le Trait (Seine-Maritime), and Lyon Gerland (Rhône), all located in France. The new financial commitment is expected to create more than 500 jobs while boosting France’s ability to control the medicine production process from start to finish.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanofi has committed more than $3.8 billion into major projects that keep the manufacturing of medications and vaccines in France for patients across the globe.
At the Le Trait plant in Normandy, Sanofi will invest $108 million toward new capacity development for biologics formulation, filling, device assembly and packaging. This will be pertaining to the launch of upcoming biologics and vaccines, along with expansion of Dupixent, the company’s branded form of Dupilumab,that is indicated in several inflammatory diseases. Soon, it may even become the first biologic indicated in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
Regarding Lyon Gerland, Sanofi be financially committing $11 million to locally produce TZield (branded form of teplizumab-mzwv, anda biologic for type 1 diabetes that was originally manufactured outside of Europe.
As for Vitry-sur-Seine, the company is investing $1.1 billion. These funds will go toward the design of a new plant that is expected to double the facility’s monoclonal antibody production capabilities.
“Thanks to the transformation undertaken since 2020, Sanofi has a record number of medicines and vaccines in development that could become best-in-class and help meet major public health challenges,” said Paul Hudson, Sanofi’s CEO. “With these unprecedented industrial investments, we remain true to our history by once again choosing France to produce these future medicines and make them available to patients around the world. France is, and always will be, at the heart of Sanofi’s strategy.”
The Big Pharma company reportedly delegates over 60% of its total global production in the European Union alone; it sources 5% of its active ingredients in Asia, as opposed to the 80% average from the pharma industry. Sanofi’s contribution to France’s trade balance resulted in more than $14 billion last year.
These plants investments at the above locations also have one aspect in common: they have consisted of endeavors that involved keeping the manufacturing project in-country. Other examples have included:
- In Sisteron, $65 million will go toward building a small-volume launch unit for the production of active ingredients.
- In Val de Reuil, $270 million will contribute to producing a flu vaccine production unit, which will feature various production stages of Fluzone High Dose / Efluelda, its high-dose flu vaccine, in France.
“Throughout its history, Sanofi has always sought to equip France with the strategic platforms needed to produce the essential medicines and vaccines of today and tomorrow. … We have also strengthened our API production sites in the south of France,” Audrey Derveloy, president of Sanofi France. Our contribution to health sovereignty in Europe, and France in particular, has always been and remains unique.”
Reference
Press Release: Sanofi adds over €1 billion for biomanufacturing to €2.5 billion already committed in major projects in France to support health sovereignty. Sanofi. May 13, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2024/2024-05-13-05-00-00-2880074
