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Author: Jean-Claude Muller, 穆卓Executive Editor at BtoBioInnovation  jcm9144@gmail.com

SPECIAL REPORT #29

Paul Hudson gives hints on a new strategy for Sanofi

Paul Hudson, Sanofi’s newly installed CEO, gave hints on the company new strategy which will be announced at a special event in December. Hudson joined Sanofi in September and spent the last month on a “listening tour”, spending hours in conference rooms digging into the company portfolio, listening to scientists and understanding the rationale of their programs. “When you visit science everything looks perfect, it smells of fresh paint” Hudson said to journalists who gathered at an event at Sanofi headquarters in Paris on Tuesday. An incoming CEO is expected to “look with clear eyes” at where the company is spending its money and whether its investments are really aligned with its priorities.

Asked about Sanofi’s diabetes pipeline, Hudson admitted that it is a huge and growing problem, for the public health, for healthcare costs and obviously for Sanofi. “Do we have what it takes to win in diabetes?” Hudson asked journalists “Do we have differentiated science? What does success look like and how do we get there?”.  This clearly means that he intends to focus on science that can “change the practice of medicine” with new treatments that are “first-in-class and preferably best in class” while insisting again on therapeutic solutions which clearly differentiate themselves from existing treatments. Aiming high will also mean that some of the current programs will undergo a strong cull process in the months to come.

Another of Hudson’s top task, is pushing Sanofi’s digital capabilities and not just in striking partnerships with technology companies as it has done previously with Verily, Google’s health-focused organization.  “You have to do it. It is great to develop digital externally, but what about being a digital company? Can we heal someone with zeros and ones?” Whatever one means with the concept of beyond the pill or “drug plus digital” solution, the final aim is to discover and launch better outcomes for patients. “That is a frontier we must also break” he said.

These preliminary remarks already give a hint where Hudson intends to go and are expected to be fully developed at the December event.

October 2^nd2019.

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