INTERVIEW
Despite the government's decision, Boiron did not give up fighting. While the executive announced in early July that homeopathy would only be reimbursed at 15% on January 1, 2020, against 30% currently, and that this rate would drop to zero on January 1, 2021, the pharmaceutical company seized the Council of State to try to cancel the decrees of the government. Invited Tuesday of Europe 1, its general director Valérie Lorentz-Poinsot, said hope that Emmanuel Macron "can reconsider its decision".
INVESTIGATION - What future for homeopathy for its derogation?
"Since the beginning of this campaign of denigration against homeopathy, we have felt an impact on our turnover," says the leader of Boiron, which states that the group's sales are down "of nearly 15% on the third quarter ". "These are very mixed results because we are also growing in North America and other countries," she says.
"What we experienced really shook our international development"
Publishing a book called Homeopathy, Freedom, Equality, Health! , Valérie Lorentz-Poinsot sees in this book "a logbook that allows to tell this unprecedented mobilization for homeopathy." And to remember that in four months, 1.300.000 French have signed the petition "My homeopathy, my choice".
Present in the official delegation accompanying Emmanuel Macron in China in early November, Valérie Lorentz-Poinsot welcomes a "strong signal of support from our government to help the company to continue to grow." Because, she laments, "to be successful in exporting internationally, you have to be strong in your home market". But, she says finally, "what we have lived for 18 months has really shaken our development internationally." This is why the leader of Boiron hopes that Emmanuel Macron will be able to "reconsider its decision".
A turnaround all the more necessary, according to Valérie Lorentz-Poinsot, that the company at 34 sites in France fears for its jobs. "We must think about the organization," concedes the general director of Boiron.