Doliprane, a star drug for fever and pain, is in the news following its controversial sale to an American investment fund. The affair raised an outcry, in particular because of an exceptional bonus of 200 million euros paid to its manager.
Doliprane, a sale that worries the French government
This is news that has shaken the world of health: Sanofi, a large French pharmaceutical laboratory, is selling its subsidiary Opella (which manufactures Doliprane) to the American investment fund CD&R.
Arnaud Montebourg revealed this announcement Wednesday October 23 on BFM TV, thus denouncing the “management package” (exceptional bonus granted to managers) of 200 million euros that Julie Van Ongevalle, the director of Opella, will receive.
To protect this strategic industry, the French state reacted quickly. The Public Investment Bank (Bpifrance), which is the financial arm of the State, will acquire a small share (1 to 2%) of the company to keep an eye on important decisions.
The government also obtained a promise to maintain French factories, notably those in Lisieux and Compiègne, with an additional investment of 70 million euros to modernize production.
Strict measures to protect French production
To ensure that these promises will be kept, the government has planned significant financial sanctions:
- A fine of 40 million euros if production stops in France
- A penalty of 100,000 euros for each job loss
- A sanction of up to 100 million euros if the company does not produce the 250 million boxes of Doliprane promised on French soil
The State will also verify how Sanofi has used public money received in recent years, in particular “research tax credits” (tax reductions granted to companies that carry out research).
This sale raises an important question: how can we protect our essential medicines from large foreign groups? Because behind this transaction lies a crucial issue: guaranteeing that France will always have access to their basic drugs, such as Doliprane, at affordable prices and without risk of shortage.
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