After losing second, Sanofi pharmaceutical tries to regain ground

After losing for the second ranking Hypermarcas of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country and comes running out of medicines protected by patents, the French Sanofi, owner of Medley, bet on innovation to try to make up ground in Brazil, where he won his €983,000,000 in 2016. Since last year, the lab launched four products of innovation (three medicines and a vaccine), and now plans to put seven in 18 months.
The beginning of the period of Sanofi''s patents in the country coincided with the arrival of the Swiss Pius Hornstein to management of the group in Brazil, in 2015. The Executive needed, therefore, not only dealing with the lack of innovation, but also the crisis in which the Country was plunging. Under your management, the order was cut costs, unify the operation of five group companies – including generic giant Medley – and invest in research. "A drug company can''t survive without innovation. If you don''t innovate, we have no reason to continue, "said Hornstein.
According to the Executive, the lack of innovative products in recent years ran from a reduction of contributions in research, but studies have not resulted in effective medicines. "Research has risk. We had products promising but that did not show efficacy to be laced. "
Hornstein does not reveal whether investments in research of clinical studies in the country are expanding, but States that, globally, Sanofi aims to achieve the figure of €6 billion per year by 2020 – today, are €5 billion. This way, the company has sought to include more Brazilian patients in researches developed internationally. In recent studies of a vaccine against dengue fever, for example, participated in 1400.
According to Hornstein, the focus in innovation does not mean let in background of the Medley, of generics (copies of medicines whose patent has expired). "The generic segment is the fastest growing in Brazil, mostly in the doldrums. Are not high price medicinal products, on the contrary, but the market will keep growing. And it''s better for a company to act in different areas. "
In the last year, with the news that Sanofi would sell globally from your generic business, speculated that the Medley would be put on the market – in a move similar to the Pfizer, you just get rid of 40% of the Teutonic.
Hornstein, however, States that the mark is still part of Sanofi''s strategy in Brazil. "We have no plans of selling." Sources say that Medley you can also anchor the sale of similar medications.
Fierce dispute. One of the main obstacles in the operation of the Medley-and other generic companies – is the low profitability. The Executive Chairman of pharmaceutical industry Union of the State of São Paulo (Sindusfarma), Nelson Mussolini, points out that, with the large number of manufacturers in the country, competition intensified and led companies to offer discounts of 90%. "It''s a competitive market, but with room to grow."
This fight for space, both Sanofi as the Medley ended up suffering. In May this year, for example, the generic manufacturer stayed in seventh place among laboratories marketed as many medicines. The company has already arrived to occupy, in 2013, the third place in the ranking.
To bottom position in the Hornstein ranking is momentary. "There are cycles of a Country and of a company. But, now, we''re in a good period. We have more products and a global organizational structure more simple. We are in a cycle that, now, is going to be faster. "
The Executive, however, admits that the brazilian crisis will prevent a relevant jump in coming years. "The growth of years ago no longer exists. We are focused to be more humble. We cannot act in the same way in an economy that is growing double digits. "