Sanofi committed to innovation for its efforts in ‘empowering life’
Sanofi, the French multinational healthcare company headquartered in Paris, sees China as a country with great potential, according to Jean-Christophe Pointeau, country chair of Sanofi China.
Pointeau said China has great potential as it is the second-largest pharmaceutical market worldwide after the United States.
He said the Chinese government has put great emphasis on people’s health and has so far gained impressive achievements in meeting the health needs of the Chinese people.
China is a key country for Sanofi globally as it is also the second-largest market for Sanofi, according to Pointeau.
Sanofi’s long commitment to the Chinese people goes back 35 years. It was one of the first foreign pharmaceutical companies to open an office in China back in 1982.
Today, the company has about 9,000 employees in various regions in China, three world-class manufacturing plants, 11 branches and an Asia-Pacific research and development hub across the country, according to Pointeau.
As a key player in the Chinese pharmaceutical market, Pointeau said Sanofi is committed to supporting the government and expanding patient access to primary healthcare.
He said Sanofi is dedicated to addressing public health needs for a healthier China in three core areas — innovation, partnership and commitment.
The company views innovation as the key driver and cornerstone of its sustainable development and digital transformation.
“We are committed to accelerating innovative, high-quality product launches in China as fast as possible and actively embracing changes in the digital era,” Pointeau said.
A recent development in this field is that Sanofi joined Alihealth — a healthcare platform of Alibaba Group — to introduce the Comfort at the Fingertips medication safety and disease management program on Nov 28.
The program features three functions — product traceability, scientific knowledge of diseases and disease management.
By scanning the barcode on medication packaging using the Taobao, Alipay or Alihealth apps, patients can easily obtain information about their medicine, as well as important information about their medical condition and health management.
The Comfort at the Fingertips platform combines the data technology advantages of Alihealth with the expertise of Sanofi in disease treatment and management, offering patients and their families professional medical and health knowledge, according to a company statement.
Earlier in July 2017, Sanofi China announced its new multi-channel medical information sharing platform, MC2, had gone live. It is designed to provide accurate and tailor-made medical information and services for healthcare professionals through diversified and innovative communications tools and channels.
“We have collaborated with research institutions, universities, disease organizations and peer companies through multidimensional strategic partnerships,” Pointeau said.
Sanofi set up its China R&D center in 2008. Adopting an open innovation model, Sanofi China R&D has formed over 60 collaborations with China’s top scientists and scientific institutions to date.
Pointeau said Sanofi’s commitment to “in China, for China” has remained unchanged since it entered the market in 1982.
In the past decades, Sanofi has introduced more than 40 drugs and vaccines in China.
It has been actively engaged in improving disease awareness and treatment in both big cities and counties.
The company has been fulfilling its social responsibility in China around four pillars: ethics and transparency; access to healthcare for the underserved; engagement with communities; and a healthy planet. It has been well recognized by society.
Sanofi released its new branding slogan in China — Empowering Life — in October 2017.
“As a trusted partner of people on their health journey, we are devoted to making a difference anytime, anywhere, helping people to face their health challenges and live their lives to the fullest,” Pointeau explained.
We are devoted to making a difference anytime, anywhere, helping people face their health challenges and live their lives to the fullest” Jean-Christophe Pointeau,