by Pauline Foret
(Reuters) -Sanofi reported strong growth in third-quarter operating profit on Friday, driven by its vaccines business, the company said in a statement.
In the third quarter, the French pharmaceutical group recorded an operating profit of 4.61 billion euros, an increase of 14.4% in published data compared to 2023, while analysts were expecting a result of 4 billion euros according to a consensus published by the company.
“This performance was supported by a favorable sequence of sales of influenza vaccines and Beyfortus, the 67% growth of our new drugs as well as an increase in Dupixent driven by volumes,” indicated Paul Hudson, CEO of the group. , in a press release.
Beyfortus, a preventive drug against a common respiratory infection in young children co-produced by Astra Zeneca, was able to be administered to millions of children in the 20 countries where it is available, greatly contributing to the positive performance of the quarter.
“We are clearly on track to make Beyfortus our next blockbuster, thanks to its unique ability to provide comprehensive protection,” said François-Xavier Roger, group financial director, when presenting the results to journalists.
As for other vaccines, the sharp increase in sales is explained by advance orders ahead of the winter season, a phenomenon which should be reflected in the fourth quarter results.
OPELLA AND NEW PERSPECTIVES
Earlier in the week, Sanofi announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations for the sale of a 50% majority stake in Opella, the group’s consumer health branch, to the American private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice.
The French State then indicated its desire to invest 1% to 2% in Opella, intending to closely monitor the possibility of a sale of the manufacturer of Doliprane to a foreign player.
Alongside this announcement, Sanofi had also indicated that it had raised its outlook for earnings per share (EPS) of activities for the 2024 financial year, now expected to increase between 0% and 1% with Opella, and to around 1% excluding Opella.
(Written by Pauline Foret, with the contribution of Ludwig Burger, edited by Augustin Turpin)
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