Sanofi confirms the elimination of 400 research and development positions

In a Sanofi laboratory in Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, France, July 10, 2020 © JOEL SAGET / AFP

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2 min

The contrast is obvious.

As Pzifer crumbles in demand for vaccines, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is lagging behind in research.

Its vaccine is not expected until the end of 2021. And we learn this Tuesday that the company will cut 400 positions in its Research and Development department.

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Chemists, researchers, biologists ... There will soon be less than 3,000 in this essential branch for the research of the vaccine against Covid-19.

It is half less than 15 years ago, specify the unions.

For Thierry Bodin, representative of the CGT at Sanofi, this is unacceptable: “

 A group which gives 4 billion euros each year in dividends to shareholders, it should be prohibited that this company can make restructuring plans.

We have been in a spiral for years of decline in pharmaceutical research within Sanofi, especially in France and in Europe, and it is particularly scandalous all the more in this period when we talk so much about sovereignty health and therapeutic independence. 

"

► Read also: Anti-Covid vaccine: Sanofi and GSK are falling behind

This cut was planned, we say on the management side.

The cut of 1,700 jobs was announced seven months ago.

But for Thierry Bodin,

Sanofi's failure on

the Covid-19

vaccine

stems from this strategy. 

“

  What we note here is that there is a total lack of transparency on the part of Sanofi on what happened.

But in any case, it necessarily played out this strategy that we deplore and which goes against everyone's interests and which obviously goes against the interests of the populations. 

"

Faced with these job cuts, a call for walkout Tuesday on various sites was launched by the unions.

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