Sanofi's expenditure on research and development 2008-2019

In 2019, biopharmaceutical company Sanofi spent approximately six billion U.S. dollars on research and development. Sanofi’s R&D expenditures have increased with each consecutive year since 2013.

The French pharmaceutical giant

Sanofi Société Anonyme (or Sanofi S.A.), headquartered in Paris, France, is active in more than one hundred countries worldwide, with a global workforce of over 100 thousand people in 2019. In the same year, the company generated most of its revenue (over 24 billion U.S. dollars) from its pharmaceuticals segment, while about five billion U.S. dollars were earned through the company’s prosperous vaccines segment. Sanofi Pasteur (Sanofi’s vaccine segment) is a global leader in the world of vaccines. In 2018, this business segment specifically generated almost 1.9 billion U.S. dollars through vaccines for polio, pertussis (whooping cough), and Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b).

Clinical trials

A clinical trial or study is conducted in order to uncover whether a particular compound is efficient and safe to use for the treatment of people. It is a lengthy process that can take several years. Such trials are also necessary to get a vaccine or a drug approved for marketing purposes.