What happened?
In 2024, two major pharmaceutical companies announced their intention to sell subsidiaries. Servier got the ball rolling in April by putting Biogaran, the French leader in generic drugs, up for sale. For several years, the laboratory has been reporting the lack of profitability of its generics, citing the difficulty for France to purchase these drugs at their fair price. A few months later, Sanofi also expressed its wish to sell its subsidiary Opella, specialized in consumer medicines, including Doliprane and 16 other products. This branch employs more than 11,000 people and manages 13 production sites and four research centers.
After starting discussions with Indian pharmaceutical giants Torrent and Aurobindo, Servier turned to investment funds BC Partners and Bpifrance. For its part, Sanofi hesitated between the American CD&R and the French PAI Partners.
Key dates
- September 6 : Servier announces the end of negotiations for the sale of Biogaran, explaining that “the creation of value proposed by the potential buyers did not seem beneficial for the company, its employees, nor for the French and European industrial fabric, without forgetting the impact on patients and partner pharmacies”.
- October 21 : Sanofi informs that it has reached an agreement with the CD&R fund to sell at least 50% of the Opella subsidiary, while remaining a significant shareholder (with 50% participation for five years). Bpifrance would become a minority shareholder of 2%, which would allow the government to retain strategic oversight.
What does this change for pharmacists?
The simultaneity of these announcements questions experts. For Frédéric Bizard, health economist, this constitutes a “ nightmare scenario “. According to him, “ it is through generics and biosimilars that we succeed in controlling the costs linked to pharmaceutical innovation “. These sales risk further weakening France's pharmaceutical sovereignty. Indeed, the local production of generics and consumer medicines plays a key role in reducing shortages, a phenomenon of increasing concern for pharmacists, who already have to cope with increased workloads, with 12 additional hours weekly work.
The number
16 billion: this is the amount at which Opella, the consumer branch of Sanofi, was valued before its sale to the American group CD.
