Sanofi Investing Big in New French Vaccine Plants

---

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--French pharmaceutical major Sanofi is planning to invest 610 million euro ($689 million) to create a new production site and research and development centre in France with both dedicated to vaccines.

The company plans to spend 490 million euro ($553 million) over a five-year period to construct its Evolutive Vaccine Facility (EVF) in Neuville sur Saône, described as a "state-of-the-art industrial site to utilise the latest innovative vaccine production technologies." It will create 200 jobs. The plant will allow the company's global vaccines unit, Sanofi Pasteur, to secure vaccine supplies in the event of new pandemics. EVF is a new type of factory, Sanofi explained, designed around a central unit housing several fully digital production modules that make it possible to produce three to four vaccines simultaneously, versus only one in current industrial sites. "This modularity will make it possible to prioritize the production of a specific vaccine in a more timely manner based on public health issues," the company stated.

"Sanofi's heart beats in France," commented Paul Hudson, chief executive officer at Sanofi. "By investing in a new industrial site and a R&D centre, Sanofi positions France at the core of its strategy, aiming to make France a world-class centre of excellence in vaccine research and production. Sanofi is a major healthcare player in France, in Europe, and worldwide. It is our responsibility to focus our resources and expertise against the current pandemic, but also to invest in preparing for future ones. We welcome the ongoing collaboration and commitment of the French authorities who we have been working alongside with the last several months to achieve this."

Sanofi will also invest 120 million euro ($135 million) to build a new R&D centre at the Sanofi Pasteur site in Marcy-l'Etoile to develop future vaccines. It will house "highly specialised laboratories that will enable the development of vaccines against emerging diseases and pandemic risks".

In March, Industrial Info reported that Sanofi was intending to spin off six of its active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) manufacturing sites in Europe into one, large standalone API producer based in France. The new company would rank No. 2 globally in API production, with approximately 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) in expected sales by 2022. The affected API manufacturing sites are Brindisi, Italy; Frankfurt, Germany; Haverhill, U.K.; St Aubin les Elbeuf and Vertolaye in France; and iÚjpest, Hungary. For additional information, see March 5, 2020, article--Sanofi to Merge European API Plants into Separate Major API Company.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.