Sanofi has unveiled plans to invest “at least” $20bn into the US by 2030, with the commitment including a significant increase in research and development (R&D) spending.
The funds will also go towards expanding Sanofi’s US manufacturing capacity to help ensure the production of medicines in the country. This will involve direct investments in the company’s sites alongside partnerships with other domestic manufacturers.
The investments are set to create a “significant number of high-paying jobs” in multiple states, Sanofi said, adding that the announcement comes as it “prepares for the potential launch of numerous new… medicines across many indications in the coming years”.
“Sanofi’s 13,000 US-based employees are pioneering the R&D of… medicines across numerous therapeutic areas,” the company’s chief executive officer, Paul Hudson, said. “Our expected investments in the US will be substantial and will help ensure the production of key medicines in the US.”
The move makes Sanofi the latest major drugmaker to announce a significant investment in the US. Last month, Roche said it would be committing $50bn into the country over the next five years in a bid to bolster its pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions.
Earlier in April, Novartis unveiled plans to invest $23bn into its US-based infrastructure over the next five years, expanding its current manufacturing, research and technology presence in the country with ten facilities, including seven new sites.
Johnson & Johnson also said in March that it would be investing more than $55bn into the US over the next four years, while Eli Lilly unveiled a significant US commitment in February.
Sanofi’s announcement comes just one month after its investigational Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor tolebrutinib was accepted for priority review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat certain cases of multiple sclerosis.
Its Regeneron-partnered monoclonal antibody Dupixent (dupilumab) was also accepted for FDA priority review in February to treat adults with bullous pemphigoid, a chronic and relapsing skin disease that mainly affects older adults.