Nearly 300 of these voluntary departures are planned in France, announced Wednesday the pharmaceutical group.

Sanofi unveiled Wednesday a plan for voluntary departures leading to the elimination of 466 positions in research and development in France and Germany, as part of a refocusing of its innovation efforts to its most strategic therapeutic areas. Nearly 300 of these voluntary departures are planned in France, said Marc Bonnefoi, vice president of global R & D operations of the group. Sanofi currently has around 4,000 employees in research and development in France and 1,500 in Germany, out of a total of 15,000 worldwide in this type of activity.