The most prescribed drug in France, Doliprane, officially passes under the American flag

"It's official: Opella is now an independent company": the completion of this transaction, whose announcement in October sparked a backlash from politicians and unions, was confirmed just before the pharmaceutical giant's shareholders' meeting on Wednesday afternoon in Paris.

Sanofi is selling 50% of its Opella subsidiary, which notably produces Doliprane, to the American fund CD&R, while retaining a 48.2% stake in this company which markets over-the-counter treatments and vitamins, minerals and supplements.

"This change in shareholders changes nothing: Doliprane will remain in France for the French," assured Opella CEO Julie Van Ongevalle during the general meeting at the Palais des Congrès, located at Porte Maillot.

"With the commitments made in terms of social issues, employment, and investment, we have taken all parties into account," stated the chairman of the board of directors of Sanofi, former banker Frédéric Oudéa.

Addressing shareholders, he stressed that "Sanofi received 10 billion euros" from the sale of Opella and recalled that he had decided to reward them by allocating half to a share buyback and "to invest" to ensure the group's growth with artificial intelligence as its driving force.

14.3% increase in fixed remuneration

Shareholders have overwhelmingly approved Paul Hudson's remuneration policy, with the resolution on this aspect passed with 75.36% of the vote.

The British leader's annual fixed remuneration will increase from 1.4 million euros (gross amount set in 2022) to 1.6 million euros by 2025, an increase of 14.3%.

"I hope you'll offer employees a 14% raise," quipped a man in the room.

An increase in share-based compensation for 2025 was also approved.

Compared to the two previous years, where union representatives came out in force to create a stir, their presence was much more discreet for this 2025 edition.

"Wearing a jersey on the eve of May 1st is pulling the rug out from under our feet, but it's deliberate. They know perfectly well that it's very difficult to remobilize afterwards," criticizes Fabien Mallet, a CGT Sanofi France union representative.

"We're really annoyed because we see that the expectations expressed by employees are not being taken into account: "basically, we're learning that Mr. Paul Hudson (Editor's note: CEO of Sanofi) is going to get a raise," "that we're continuing with what isn't working," he told AFP.

"Hot spot"

Apart from the sale of Opella, the union representative points to another "hot spot that is mobilizing us a lot: the sale of the Amilly site" in Loiret, where the Aspegic and Kardegic brands are manufactured, and where a strike movement has been underway since this announcement on March 5.

"We want to remain part of Sanofi," Laurent Boitard, CGT central union representative, told AFP, adding that "nearly 40% of staff" are continuing their walkouts and that "negotiations on support measures will begin on May 12."

This new separation is "the result of strategic choices made on this site which have led to the loss of too much business," by, for example, eliminating pasty products such as toothpaste, according to him.

The 2022 split of the active pharmaceutical ingredients division, Europai, leaves a bitter taste: Sanofi's boss admits that the company's journey is "more difficult than expected, partly due to external reasons," and unions fear being drawn into a similar scenario.

"Sanofi is now better positioned" to become a champion of immunology and "face headwinds," Hudson said, promising to keep "its feet on the ground in the coming years."