More job cuts planned at Sanofi, says union
pharmafile | July 6, 2012 | News story | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing |Â Â Genzyme, Sanofi, Viehbacher, cutsÂ
Sanofi has confirmed that it is considering a restructuring of its operations in France, but has refused to comment on widespread speculation that it could lead to the loss of up to 2,500 positions.
The pharma company’s management – including chief executive Chris Viehbacher – held a meeting with works council representatives yesterday with Reuters reporting that the proposal could lead to job cuts affecting workers at its research facilities in Toulouse and Montpellier.
A representative of the CFDT union is quoted as saying that the Toulouse facility may be closed entirely, with the loss of 600 positions, while Montpellier would be downsized by around 200 workers.
Last year, Sanofi had warned that it may have to cut around 3,000 research jobs in the wake of its takeover of US biotech Genzyme.
One aim may be to consolidate research support functions at facilities in Paris and Lyon, with a new centre for infectious disease research to be set up at the latter site. And contrary to earlier reports – manufacturing may not be affected by the latest round of cutbacks, according to the news agency, citing an unnamed spokesman for Sanofi.
A report in Le Figaro had suggested that jobs would also go at the manufacturing operations of vaccines subsidiary Sanofi Pasteur, and also administrative functions at the firm’s Paris headquarters.
The newspaper noted that Sanofi has already shed some 4,000 jobs between 2009 and 2011, and the company has an ongoing programme aimed at shaving €2 billion from costs by 2015 and increasing earnings by 5% a year.
It needs to cut costs to help it cope with expired patent protection for big-selling drugs such as its cardiovascular treatment Plavix (clopidogrel), which started facing generic competition in the US in May.
Meanwhile, efforts to bring new medicines to market have hit setbacks, with an FDA advisory panel voting against approval of the firm’s anticoagulant drug semuloparin last week.
Sanofi currently employs 28,000 people in France, equivalent to around a quarter of its total workforce worldwide.
The firm said it is planning to start negotiations with staff with a view to announcing a definitive plan in September.
Phil Taylor
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