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Sanofi Company Profile, News, Rankings | Fortune

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Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson describes the other efforts we need to take to return to normal, and details Sanofi's vaccine efforts.

Successful COVID-19 vaccines are just the first step to ending the pandemic

Leadership

Sanofi CEO reflects, details Sanofi's vaccine efforts.

COVID-19 vaccines are only first step to ending the pandemic

Paul, Thank you so much for joining us and to talk about the big topic of the day. All of these new coronavirus vaccines that are coming to market Pfizer is the first company to get approval from the U. K. And it's vaccine could be distributed in just a few more days. What's your reaction to all this? Well, I'm proud, right? I've been in the industry 30 years, and, uh, these are the days that I think people really start to understand the value of what we do real time. Um, it's incredible. It's tremendous progress. We of course, we hope to provide some additional progress ourselves at some point. But right now it's about just trying to do the right thing. We said all along that we thought we crack the science somewhere across the industry. And then we get to some of the complexity about rolling things out and the logistics but very proud to be part of this industry, incredibly proud. And it's a It's an important day, of course. Yes, very important day. Well, as you know, there's a lot of optimism and hope because of all of these vaccines that have been coming to market. Yet you write in an op ed piece in the Financial Times saying that to be covid 19 will take far more than a new vaccine. What do you mean by that? Well, I think we shouldn't just declare victory because we have the vaccines. They are clearly an incredible component in solving this puzzle and getting back to normal. But there's an excessive challenges. Of course there is distribution. There is, um, frozen refrigerators. There are good numbers of syringes. Um, containers. Um, you know, there are a lot of individual components that we must get right. We must share learnings. We must look at what's happening in the UK now, what will happen shortly in the US and say, Okay, how do we get much more efficient at these things? How do we bring those things forward so that everybody that needs to get it and and as soon as possible? And I think, you know, it's just step on, Really? And now we've got to get on this journey, and I am confident, by the way that I think we can do that. But it doesn't stop. Just with the authorization of the vaccine. You also bring up the whole issue about public fear of taking a vaccine, what you call vaccine skepticism. What do you think it's going to take to get people to buy in? And what do we need to do to reassure the public that this is a safe thing and the right thing to do? Well, you know, it's it's a huge question. First step, get the vaccines, make them available. And I think we're working very hard on that. I think we're gonna work with government. We're going to work to help make sure that we're sharing the information real time so that people know that although we moved quickly, we didn't cut any corners and that the safety and efficacy is there for all to see. And regulators have approved it and step forward and encourage people to get vaccinated. Because, of course, while some people may feel there not a risk, they may be putting others at risk. And I think this is one where we have to work together. All of us myself included my own family included to step forward because it's going to be very important that we have the right information to feel confident to go forward and get vaccinated. And without that, I think it's it's challenging for people. But we really must crack that. And I think we will. I think as things move and as people realize the flexibility that comes with this sort of opportunity to have a health passport to move to events, to travel, to do those things that they become real, I think you'll see a huge adoption and we should. Well, exactly, that's the case. And, you know, we're hearing so many people ask this question, and I'm sure you get asked this a lot. Like when do things get back to normal businesses, reopening people, going back to work and just feeling safe to be in large crowds? What's your prediction? So I think while it may take a year or so to get everybody vaccinated, I think people are gonna start to feel the difference much sooner than that. I think you're going to see, as vaccines become available in large numbers, huge volumes and, uh, centers to go and get vaccinated, become a super efficient and waiting times decrease in all these little pieces. I think you'll find that people will start to be saying, Hey, I'm scheduled. I'm going to go next week. I'm going to go the week after and and it will become more commonplace. So I think as we get through, you know, the spring and into the summer, I think you'll start to notice a real difference. And then, of course, it takes time to capture the entire world. As you can imagine, there are very few undertakings ever been done like this. But I think we'll start turning a corner by the middle of next year and then keep the hard yards going after that. So I'd like to get a status an update of what's going on at sanity with the vaccine research that you're doing. I understand you have two vaccines that you're working on along with GlaxoSmithKline. When will those be ready for regulators to take a look at? Yeah, so we have to, uh, to attempts. We have one recovered and back lit bars platform that is, you know, something we used to make influenza vaccine that we know is sort of tried and trusted. And we should get the results coming up in the next week. We're excited about that. We'll see what happens. We have to be able to cross into a Phase three program. And of course we have an mRNA program that a little bit later, but we think will play a part towards the end of next year. So I think what's really important really well, for me as well, just coming out of my first year as CEO to see a company mobilized to this extent to see the raw, purpose driven nature of what people are doing. I you know, I think it would blow people's minds to spend an hour or a day following our scientists, our manufacturing folk. Just watch how purpose driven everybody is, how they desire to play a part and how they're sacrificing a lot themselves and being away from family and doing these things to keep the transformation of the company moving, but also to bring those vaccines forward and very proud, by the way, what's happening in this company and and very proud of the people that are stepping up to try and make these things possible? Well, Paul, you have the CEO for a year, and what a year it's been with this pandemic for a new CEO. What would you say is the most important thing that stood out for you most important experience in this past year? You know, I think it's been challenging you, of course, but incredible for me taking over at Sanofi. You know, I've seen an organization mobilized entirely purpose driven at speed, agile and doing things in an unprecedented level. I mean, I'm a little bit blown away. I think if people spend five minutes an hour day following our people around, they would be like you're very patient and purpose driven. I'm just absolutely blown away by how unstoppable our organization is, and and I want to keep that. And we hope that some of that energy and excitement will carry on long after long after this. Well, looking ahead to the next year or the year after, what are some of the changes that you've made because of the pandemic or some of the practices that you adopted that you do hope will stick around as you run the business? Well, I think firstly, a collaboration with partners, of course, other peers in the industry, but importantly with regulators and how quickly we've been interacting real time and hope some of that stage because there's huge unmet medical need and lots of breakthrough medicines that are coming. They're really need that sense of urgency after this, right? A lot of the time with Children has come from speeding up those interactions internally. I think people would be shocked that we've just kept going with our clinical trials, begun four major clinical trials and multiple sclerosis, for example. We've continued to innovate on do picks, and we've done things that you wouldn't have thought possible. And we're doing it often remotely or learning new skills about how to monitor patients remotely and electronically. That really was not something that would have thought we could have done even months ago or a year ago. So many of those things, I hope, stay because those efficiencies and that has to bring breakthroughs forward faster, really can't be sacrificed after we really must keep going. I'm very proud of. We've kept making medicines and how we kept trying to discover medicines throughout the whole of the pandemic so far, and it will continue that way.

[ MUSIC ] Hi Paul, so good to see you. Thank you so much for joining us from Paris for this virtual interview so that we can discuss the research that's Sanofi is doing to combat Corona virus and actually, I understand that you just announced a collaboration with an American biotech company translate bio to develop a vaccine. How promising is this project or is it too soon for us to get our hopes up? It is quite big news because it takes normally 10 years to make a vaccine. And our collaboration with translate bio goes on top of collaboration we have with BARDA. We're all shots on goal right now, different mechanisms, different players, so that we can get there in 12 to 18 months max. So in case this thing, circles background, we're ready Actually you are collaborating on a lot of projects. Tell us about your partnership with Regeneron pharmaceuticals and the drug that you are already testing in clinical trials. Yes, so we are underway and have in excess of 100 patients already in clinical trials on Kevzara for use in the most severe setting for those with coded nine mean it's a very productive long time collaboration with regeneron. And it's very interesting. You can see us or here as late at night planning clinical studies, how to do it how to get medicine, to hospitals to make sure patients get it. We hope there is small evidence and we want to hope and prove in a very fast Timeline just weeks that it can make a difference to those pre ventilation and it can really do something to get them off oxygen we will find out but we're mobilized. Everybody's on it 24 seven and if it works, we'll be well placed to try and bring it to as many people, Patients as possible .>> The other drug, Paul, that is getting a lot of attention is hydroxychloroquine. This is an anti- malarial drug that Sanofi makes and sells. Do you think that really could be a cure For Corona virus well is to say, but I do know if you look at the data some patients have did very well and some haven't. But we have to be optimistic. Just to give you a sense of context. I was at our distribution center last week, with the permission of the French government. I was allowed to go and visit it. To see it being packed in readiness, because if it works, we must be ready. And so we're all hands on deck doing everything we can, You know, everyone is looking for that silver bullet that's gonna solve the problem and your scientists at Sanofi are working very hard. They're very smart. What is it gonna take, how long is it gonna take for, wherever it is, any drug company around the world, to come up with a cure? We're hearing sometimes a year, two years, what is your timetable? So in terms of cures, it is the two years, three years, whatever it may be. It's at the moment, as you've already pointed out. It's about taking existing medicines, where we understand the medicine and really applying them. Vaccines is really the big hope. And, we're one of the biggest and proudest and oldest vaccine companies in the world. And we're running two different programs. Now the Translate bio program we mentioned, and a small program out of protein sciences that we talked about in a partnership with BARDA. To really go after trying to be able to vaccinate the Healthy People next year. I mean, that's got to be our goal in case this thing comes back around so that we can protect as many people as possible. Paul, it was just six months ago that you became CEO of Sanofi. So you are a new CEO and now you've been hit with this unprecedented pandemic. And you just said a moment ago, that how you You're getting everybody to come together in your company to package these medicines. I understand you've also been doing regular video conference calls with your influence. What's the key thing that you're telling them? When we first met, I was very early into my tenure as CEO and I was explaining how I'd been on a listening tour I'd been around the world I've been trying to establish the dialogue with People. I was doing it I think for the right reasons, but I can tell you it's coming back to me tenfold right now. People are very open to telling me where we need to do more where we can share more, communicate more. They're very open to a two way conversation. People are thanking us for complete transparency right across the organisation. Well, letting people know what we know categorically. And where we have areas of ambiguity and what we think are best guesses. And people just want to be involved and see the thinking evolve. There's a very high degree of trust, and people incredibly purpose driven and even since the time when we last spoke just several months ago, I can feel the purpose of nature. The camaraderie and coming together of the company is really something I've just never seen before. so impressed with how people responding and showing up. That's so good to hear. Paul. So far you have not announced a single layoff at Sanofi. What are you doing to make sure that you can keep everyone working or on the payroll at least So no we haven't and it's certainly our goal not in that situation. We are doing essential work over 90 % of our manufacturing stuff is showing up for work right across the world including France, Italy, Spain. So the purpose driven nature of the shop is so high We are staying very close to everybody and letting them know what they asking them what they need and what we can do to help. But I have to tell you, I've never seen anything like it. For those that are at home and who are homeschooling. You know, I myself, isolated at home and trying to balance those things. We're trying to make sure people's mental health is in good shape. Provide contact dialogue, conversation, SMS, whatever it takes to that people don't feel like they're on their own. And just yesterday, we kicked off the opportunity because people are demanding it some online education to help our organization raise its game to come back stronger. And we are oversubscribed, over 6000 people yesterday, subscribe for an artificial intelligence seminar. Just to keep learning keep get ready for when we come back. That's such an upbeat message and it's so good to hear that but you know these are stressful times especially for a new CEO like you. You are in charge of $ 40 billion company you have a 100, 000 employees who are counting on you. What is the one leadership belief you have that is helping you navigate through this horrible crisis. Cheer, brutal transparency. We're just not hiding anything. We're just putting everything out there. Letting people respond to it, we're answering every question, we're asking questions and we're just making sure that there was no ambiguity for people where there doesn't need to be, people seem to need to know real time. They are reading it, they are seeing it on the news, its being reported. They need to know our view, where we stand and what it's gonna to have an impact. And that's what's motivating people. That's what is keeping everybody close.

Sanofi is working with Regeneron and BARDA to create effective treatments.

Sanofi CEO on partnerships and timeline to find the coronavirus cure

Sanofi is working around the clock to create treatments.

Watch: This pharma CEO explains a COVID-19 cure timeline

[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 1: Everyone attending the conference, probably everybody watching is thinking about AI, how it's being implemented at your company or what it might mean for your career. I just was thinking about a couple of stats, and here's a stat from Accenture. By 2035, you projected that AI will add $14 trillion in revenue globally. There's another stat just the other day, Bank of America projected that AI and automation could make 800 million jobs disappear, so we have a lot of hope and fear around this topic. And as we're looking at that, I was hoping, Julie, you could start us out by just pulling back from the hype and the stats and giving us a look from your work with clients around the world. Where are we on the maturity curve? The adoption? Where are we in the progress of bringing AI and automation into what companies are really doing? SPEAKER 2: Well, you might say there's a maturity of the fear factor. How about that? Meaning so we just-- SPEAKER 1: Did you just coin that? SPEAKER 2: I just did. SPEAKER 1: All right. SPEAKER 2: In listening to you about that, so I think what you've seen over the last five years has been a lot of discussion about it. And every year is a little more maturity, right? So we're not spending a lot of time as Accenture going around and educating what is artificial intelligence, right? The question today is all about how do you scale the impact, and at the same time, we just did-- and I will give you a stat that said we just put out a new study where 75% of C-suite executives believe that their survival, survival depends on the ability to scale. So we are, I think, at an inflection point on everyone understands it has upsides. It's critical to the business. There are things we have to manage, but fundamentally, we have to move into an era of being able to scale the impact while managing and bringing our people along the journey. SPEAKER 3: I was in a lab, one of our labs in Boston, and you walk into one of our traditional labs, and of course, as you'd expect, there is a lot of people in white coats with safety goggles on, right? It's good practice. You turn a corner, and there's a robot, and the robot is processing over 200 different proteins against tissue types 24 hours a day to try and work out what could happen. And taking out, not replacing people, don't get me wrong, but replacing the capacity of the people that we had. Meaning, we can do 20x, 50x of what we used to find new medicines. At the same time, same lab, I was walking just a little bit further along to our personalized health care group, and I met a young scientist. And I was drawn to the display on her computer, and it looked like some sort of children's painting. And I said, what is that? She said, it's a single immune cell in a person with an autoimmune disease. And I'm looking at a single immune cell, because I was AI enabled to find that one cell that needs a personalized medicine to do something about it. And if we can create a medicine for one person, wouldn't that be amazing? 

Insights: Sanofi, Accenture CEOs on How Humans and Machines Can Maximize Productivity

Uncategorized

A.I., automation, and analytics are transforming business.

How Humans and Machines Can Maximize Productivity

A.I., automation, and analytics are transforming the business landscape, enhancing products and services, and enabling new forms of competition. (November 2019)

everyone attending the conference. Probably everybody watching eyes, thinking about a guy, how it's being implemented at your company or what it might mean for your career. Um e just you know, I was thinking about a couple of stats. Here's a step from Accenture. By 2035 u projected that I I will add $14 trillion in revenue globally. There's another stat. Just the other day, Bank of America projected that Aye, aye. And automation could make 800 million jobs disappear. So we have a lot of hope and fear around this topic, and we're looking at that. I was hoping Julie, you could start out by just giving us pulling back from the hype and the stats and giving us a look from your work with clients around the world. Where are we on the maturity curve? The adoption, you know, where are we in the progress of bringing a I and automation into what companies were really doing? Well, you might say there's a maturity of the fear factor about that. Meaning I just did. All right, I'm listening to you about that. So, uh, you know, I think what you've seen over the last five years has been, you know, a lot of discussion about it. And every year there's a little more maturity, right, so we're not spending a lot of time. Is Accenture going around and educating? What is artificial intelligence? The the question today is all about How do you scale the impact? And at the same time, we just did not get We'll give you a stat. That said, we just put out a new study. We're 75% of C Suite Executives believe that their survival survival depends on the ability to scale that we are, I think, at an inflection point on everyone understands it has upside. It's, you know, it's it's critical to the business. There are things we have to manage, but fundamentally, we have to move into an era of being able to scale the impact while managing and bringing our people along the journey. I was in a lab, one of our labs in Boston, and you walk into one about traditional labs on. Of course, as you'd expect, there is a lot of people in white coats with safety goggles, right? It's good practice. Um, you turn a corner on Dhe there's a robot on the robot is processing over 200 different proteins against tissue types 24 hours a day to try and work out what could happen and taking out. Not not replacing people don't get me wrong, but replacing the capacity of the people that we had meeting weaken Do 20 x 50 x What we used to find you at the same time. Same lab. I was walking just a little bit further along to our personalized health care group, and I met a young scientist and I was drawn to the display on her on her computer and it looked like some sort of Children's paintings. And I said, What is that? And she said, It's a single immune cell in a person with an auto immune disease, and I'm looking at a single immune cell because I was a I enabled to find that one cell that needs a personalized medicine to do something about it, and if we can create a medicine for one person, would not be amazing.

[ MUSIC ] Paul, right after you became a CEO of Sanofi, you went on, what you call, a listening tour. Where did you go and who were you listening to? You shouldn't tell anybody, but the listening never stops. So, it's not just the run 'till the end of the year and a lot of travel. It's a desire, whether I'm in the elevator or talking to somebody at a railway station on the way to Leon to our vaccines center. It's asking great questions. It's being open to answers. It's being non judgmental, and I'm triangulating all the time. I'm absorbing information and trying to see is that consistent with what I've heard before. It's not about the individuals but it's about the company and how can I speed things up. Give us some of the highlights of what really stood out for you. I've been blown away. I've been blown away by a couple of things. People are incredible. They are whip smart. They are entrepreneurial day innovative. I will also say. That we haven't made it easy for them, to bring the best of all those things to the table. And what I found was incredible human capital, right ?. And I gotta help get the organisation out of That way we're required but then know how to have the organization at their back and not on top of them. What kind of questions were the people that you met with asking you from the first day they were asked me to make decisions. And and in fact, one of the things they asked me was probably you're going to make some decisions, right ?. And I think big companies get out the habit sometimes or procrastinate a little or take their time. People are like, look, we're grownups. So, we wanna know where we're going, and you're here, you need to be explicit with us. You know when the news came out that you are gonna be the new CEO, One of the other big headlines was that you're not French, you are British. How did that play out in the field when you met people? There was some criticism of my choice of soccer team right up front, and some disappointment that I won't switch allegiance to [ UNKNOWN ]. But I haven't heard it, and I've given people plenty of opportunity to say it. How's your French by the way. I am trying my best with my French and You know, it's finding the right time but I'm doing the pleasantries and the [ FOREIGN ] and I'm doing all those things. But I have somewhere to go. Listen, let's also be clear, out of respect for a culture, it is important that to speak to everybody in the organization. That I make progress on my language capability. It's not a barrier, It's a choice. And I think to get the best out of everybody and English isn't everybody's language, then I need to do much better on my French. It's all about culture, isn't it? And I hear from so many CEOs who talk about the importance of Of a company's culture and transforming their culture from which you've been able to gather about this company's- Yeah. Culture. Is it a winning culture? Do you feel you have to transform it or do something different? So I think they're all ingredients to that Have small people, inivitive, entrepreneurial, reselient in many ways, and 100 % comitted. I said to somebody recently, perhaps at a town hall, we're very close to being. Great, but that last little bit takes attention and takes commitment. And I'd like to add my value there. So Paul, you've been through your first 100 days as CEO, what's been your biggest breakthrough? And what do you see as the next big challenge? I think the the realization That our scientific story has been undersold and that I've put a lot of energy into figuring it out. And trying to identify where opportunities for transformational medicine could be, I think in 100 days will have made more progress than people realize. And I think I'll be proud of the team and myself, but proud of the team principally for getting us there for that. It's first base. The next big challenge is tech. There are limitless possibilities for patient benefit, and to accelerate and improve the way we operate. Our people Just are not fully aware of what they can do with it. We need to improve capabilities. We need to understand it better than we've ever done. And we're too far from realizing those possibilities. That's what I've got to help the organization understand, be equipped for and take advantage of. In the benefit of changing the practice of medicine. [ BLANK_AUDIO ]

Paul Hudson talks about the challenges of transforming the French pharma giant

Sanofi CEO on leadership: Remove obstacles, move faster, be decisive

Paul Hudson talks about transforming the French pharma giant

Sanofi CEO on leadership: remove obstacles, move faster

Paul Hudson talks about the challenges of transforming the French pharma giant.

Sanofi

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