The science of success Sanofi

THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS

The Hungarian arm of global pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is committed to upholding the country’s tradition for excellent chemistry. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the managing director, Christophe Gourlet, to find out how this is being achieved.

With its head office in Budapest, the Hungarian activities for global pharmaceutical corporation Sanofi are spread across three state-of-the-art production facilities. Present through all business areas of the group, with extensive capabilities in R&D, chemistry, pharmaceutical production and its own sophisticated international distribution platform, Sanofi in Hungary is a valued member of the global Sanofi family.

Sanofi is the world’s fourth largest pharmaceutical company, with more than 105,000 employees across its activities in over 110 countries, including nearly 19,000 researchers dedicated to developing new and improved formulas and products. The world’s leading vaccine manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur provides vaccines to over 500 million people each year.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Sanofi Hungary has its production facilities in Budapest, Csanyikvölgy and Veresgyház – each carefully equipped with the latest machinery needed to create advanced pharmaceutical solutions. When the company acquired the 10 year-old local pharmaceutical and chemistry company Chinoin Inc in 1991 the whole Hungarian operation underwent a considerable investment programme, which continues to pay dividends today.

Managing director Christophe Gourlet told Industry Europe how this investment adds value to the company: “At the time of the acquisition we underwent a major investment programme to ensure that our scientists had access to the very latest equipment. The massive revamp of our Hungarian facilities at that time allowed us to really cement our market-leading position and we have remained dedicated to continual improvement and maintenance ever since, meaning that our facilities have stayed impressive for more than two decades.”

Sanofi Hungary is now realising the value of its considerable investment 20 years ago as the developments and innovations gener-

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Delivering every time

One specific area in which the company continues to invest heavily is its distribution platform. This strong network allows Sanofi to maintain its position as the ninth largest exporter in Hungary, delivering to over 50 countries whilst maintaining a 10 per cent domestic market share. Mr Gourlet added, “Our large internal distribution network is key to keeping the strength and performance of our export market. We are continually working on ways to ensure that we are as efficient and effective as possible, delivering the right product for the right patient at the right time. In the export market we have almost no commercial presence as our activities primarily rely on the extensive global demands of the Sanofi group; we only sell through Sanofi affiliates.”

The local and international markets for Sanofi Hungary both appreciate the core business activities of the two production plants, one of which focuses on solid form production and the other of which is offering injectable products. Producing chemical products, active ingredients and generic prostaglandin products, the Sanofi Hungary product portfolio

delivers a wide range of treatment across its global network. Following the considerable investment in the 1990s, its production capabilities were given such a boost that Sanofi is the first company in the world to deliver generic prostaglandin products.

High standards

The environmental standards at Sanofi Hungary are taken just as seriously as the quest for continuous pharmaceutical innovation. Mr Gourlet explained, “This is a very important topic for us, especially as one of our plants is right in the middle of a city. We take the issues connected to the local environment very seriously as it is imperative that we protect our region; after all, we are in the business of keeping people healthy. We go beyond the required regulations in all areas of our business and are proud of our high standards. We have been widely recognised for this too.”

In order to maintain its market-leading position and history of excellence in creating and producing pharmaceutical and chemistry products, Sanofi Hungary also takes the issue of recruitment and training seriously. With Hungary recognised worldwide for its advanced education of scientists, and pharmacists in particular, the company is committed to finding and keeping graduates to ensure that it has “the next generation of scientists ready to find the next Sanofi Hungary innovation.” In order to attract intelligent youngsters, the company participates in major exhibitions as well as the prestigious International Year of Chemistry, of which it was a major partner. The company’s strong support of PhD students also ensures that it is in close contact with suitable team members.

As Sanofi Hungary looks toward the future, it plans to maintain its position as a highly valued economic player in Hungary even though the country has experienced some difficulties during the global recession. Its company-wide philosophy that “health should be considered an investment rather than a cost” is also a key factor in its expected growth. The many international government-promoted programmes centred on the development of prevention medication are also central to its long-term plans for success. n