Sanofi-Aventis possesses the flexibility to further reduce its sales force, its head of pharmaceuticals, Hanspeter Spek, said during a post-results conference call last month.
“I don’t believe our overall sales force will increase—there will be inside restructuring,” Spek said. He said around 10% of the US sales force typically leaves each year and another 10% are external hires. Sanofi has already cut its US sales force by 11% since 2005.
Meanwhile, Sanofi reported that second quarter profits missed analysts targets as sales of its sleeping pill Ambien fell 42%.
The drugmaker was counting on Acomplia to boost company growth but had to withdraw it after an FDA expert panel linked it to suicide and depression.
“It’s not a good day for Sanofi,” Paul Diggle, an analyst at Nomura Code securities in London, said in published reports following the drugmakers second quarter results call.
“Unless they can convince people about their pipeline at the R&D day in September, it will be difficult to get people excited,” Diggle said.
From the September 01, 2007 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
