The French laboratory Sanofi publishes this Friday results on the rise for 2022. They are still boosted by its drug against eczema Dupixent. Sanofi also anticipates a year 2023 in growth, but at a more moderate level. Net profit increased by 8% to 6.72 billion euros. Net profit from activities, the indicator favored by the group, which excludes exceptional effects, rose by almost 26%, to 10.34 billion euros.
Net earnings per share from activities (EPS), another key indicator for the laboratory, also rose to 8.26 euros (+ 17.1% at constant exchange rates), above Sanofi’s objectives. For 2023, Sanofi nevertheless anticipates a slowdown in the growth of this indicator, “in the lower single-digit range” at constant exchange rates.
8.3 billion euros with a single drug
Last year, the company, which employs 100,000 people worldwide, recorded sales of 42.3 billion euros (+13.9%, +7% CER). However, this is less than anticipated by analysts polled by Bloomberg.
Sanofi announced that it would propose the payment of a dividend of 3.56 euros, against 3.33 euros per share for the previous financial year. According to estimates by Agence France presse (AFP), this would amount to a total payment of more than 4.4 billion euros to its shareholders.
In detail, the specialty medicine division, the flagship of Sanofi, now dominates the group’s sales, at 16.46 billion euros (+ 19.4% CER). Within this division, the blockbuster Dupixent remains the main driving force. This drug, developed jointly by the French laboratory and its American partner Regeneron, has already been launched for several pathologies in around thirty countries, including asthma and eczema. Dupixent reported nearly 8.3 billion euros in sales for the year.
The vaccines division is another driving force (+6.3% CER to 7.2 billion euros). It was boosted in particular by flu vaccines, which had a record year, and pediatric vaccines. The non-prescription products division is up sharply (+ 8.6% CER) to 5 billion euros in sales, particularly supported by painkillers such as Doliprane, and digestive health.
The general medicine branch, which includes health products for diabetes and cardiovascular, continues to decline (-4.2% CER) to 14.2 billion euros in sales.