FRANCE – Global healthcare and pharmaceutical company Sanofi has appointed François-Xavier Roger, previously with Nestlé, as its new chief financial officer, effective April 1.

He will succeed Jean-Baptiste Chasseloup de Chatillon, who will assume the role of head of Apprentis d’Auteuil, a foundation supporting adolescent education and training programs.

Chatillon has served as Sanofi’s CFO since 2018, marking a seven-year tenure characterized by significant corporate changes. 

Notably, Sanofi unveiled plans in October to divest its consumer health business and reallocate resources to immunology drug research, involving approximately $1.3 billion in cost-cutting measures.

Roger brings eight years of experience as Nestlé’s finance chief and prior roles in various pharmaceutical companies, including Aventis (now part of Sanofi) and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he served as CFO from 2013 to 2015.

The leadership transition comes amid a challenging period for Sanofi, which recently reported fourth-quarter earnings of just under US$12 billion, with full-year revenue totalling US$46 billion. 

Despite a 5.2% decline in sales compared to expectations, this represents an improvement from the third quarter, which triggered a stock sell-off.

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Dupixent, Sanofi’s leading immune disease drug, continues to drive sales growth for its specialty medicines business. 

Additionally, the company’s antibody shot for respiratory syncytial virus, marketed as Beyfortus, received U.S. clearance over the summer for infants up to two years of age.

Strong demand resulted in a supply shortage during the RSV season last fall, prompting dose rationing as the company and partner AstraZeneca worked to increase supply.

Despite challenges, sales of the antibody reached 410 million euros, or $444 million, in its second quarter on the market.

Sanofi aims to separate its consumer health division into a standalone company based in France by the earliest in the fourth quarter.

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