Sanofi is overhauling its US commercial operations for its vaccines and will cut an undisclosed number of jobs, the company confirmed to Endpoints News.
The move follows some big R&D changes in CEO Paul Hudson’s push to start a new chapter at the French pharma. Hudson has set out to increase the company’s Phase 3 pipeline by 50% over the next two years and become an “immunology powerhouse.”
While the company recently highlighted vaccines as one of its key priorities, a spokesperson said Thursday that it’s “implementing a streamlined strategic sales structure.” The spokesperson declined to provide further information on the changes that will be made, the timeframe, and the number of employees impacted.
Some of those employees may remain with the company: Sanofi noted there will be “opportunities to apply for the new positions.”
“We are continuously adapting to the evolving US vaccines market to better support our customers and patients. These changes are aimed at optimizing our commercial structure for greater efficiency and effectiveness,” the spokesperson said.
Vaccines helped drive Sanofi’s 2023 sales, including through the strong uptake of its monoclonal antibody Beyfortus for the prevention of RSV. But it’s also faced supply issues with the product, which it has attributed to “overwhelming demand” following its launch in July.
The company also saw a decline in fourth-quarter sales from its booster vaccines and flu shots, attributing the latter to lower vaccination rates and more competition. Flu shots were still Sanofi’s best-selling vaccines in 2023, generating $2.8 billion.
Sanofi revealed separate job cuts earlier this month as part of a plan to scrap several oncology research projects. At the time, a Sanofi spokesperson said the drugmaker would “seek to employ as many impacted employees as possible.”
Hudson told investors in October that Sanofi could save €700 million through the “reallocation of pipeline resources.”