Sanofi invests in vaccine production in France, €490 million over five-years

Sanofi on Tuesday detailed plans investing in France to increase its vaccines research and production capacities, and contribute in responding to future pandemic risks, aligned with its corporate strategy presented last December, Sanofi will invest €610 million to create a new production site and research center in France with both dedicated to vaccines.

“Sanofi’s heart beats in France. We have a long history and exceptional teams working throughout the country, embodying our strong values. By investing in a new industrial site and a R&D center, Sanofi positions France at the core of its strategy, aiming to make France a world-class center of excellence in vaccine research and production,” said Paul Hudson, Chief Executive Officer at Sanofi. “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 said it would invest in vaccine production in France and create its Evolutive Vaccine Facility (EVF) in Neuville sur Saône. This state-of-the-art industrial site will utilize the latest innovative vaccine production technologies. The project represents an investment of €490 million over a five-year period, and is expected to create 200 new jobs. Sanofi’s investment has been made possible thanks to the support and the close collaboration with French authorities over the last few months.

The building of this plant will enable Sanofi Pasteur, Sanofi’s global entity dedicated to vaccines, to be the first pharmaceutical manufacturer to benefit from such an industrial tool and to secure vaccine supplies in the event of new pandemics, Sanofi said. EVF is a new type of factory 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, Sanofi explained. 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 said.

Sanofi said it has also committed to investing €120 million to create a new R&D center in France at the Sanofi Pasteur site in Marcy-l’Etoile to develop future vaccines. This state-of-the-art digital facility will house highly specialized laboratories that will enable the development of vaccines against emerging diseases and pandemic risks, Sanofi said. The facility will become a world reference for pre-clinical research and pharmaceutical and clinical development. Sanofi expresses its gratitude to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes French region for its support in this project, the company said.

Sanofi said it shares the French authorities’ vision for a sovereign Europe in healthcare and announced last February the creation of a new industry-leading European company to provide active pharmaceutical ingredients. The company also said it today stands ready to cooperate with France and the European Union (EU) on other projects which will provide the EU with extra vaccine (EVF extension project) or monoclonal antibody (cell culture tanks installation and start-up project) production capabilities. These supplementary capabilities can be leveraged by the EU and other pharma companies in the event of a healthcare crisis, Sanofi said.