U.S. Revenue: $20.1 billion (down 1%)
Global Revenue: $36 billion (down 0.7%)
Top Brands: Lantus ($3.5B), Fluzone and Vaxigrip Influenze Franchise ($1.1B), Renagel ($764m), Toujeo ($475m)
R&D Spend: $5.7B (flat), 16% of revenue
Planned Launches: Dupilumab (eczema)
Upcoming Patent Expirations: Eloxatin
Sanofi has been browsing in the acquisition aisle for some time now, even wheeling a few companies to the register only to leave empty-handed. Its latest effort, a $1 billion bid for Boston biotech Flexion Therapeutics, may hold promise but pales in comparison to the plan CEO Olivier Brandicourt floated at the start of 2016: a deal as big as its $20.1 billion acquisition of Genzyme. In the wake of failed bids for Medivation and Actelion, the big catch continues to elude Sanofi — and with diabetes sales slipping due to blockbuster Lantus’ dwindling empire, plotting offensive moves would be wise. Newer long-acting basal insulin Toujeo is unlikely to achieve the same fame as Lantus. Besides, Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Lantus biosimilar gained approval at the beginning of this year, adding fuel to the wild pricing firestorm in the diabetes market. An approval of late-stage asset dupilumab awards the manufacturer a first-in-class ribbon in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, but trouble looms in patent disputes with Amgen. The medication is predicted to bring in annual sales of $3 billion for Sanofi/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals by 2022. Through a collaboration with ImmuNext, Sanofi aims to expand its reach in the MS market beyond approved agents Aubagio and Lemtrada.
