French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi announced on Thursday that Belén Garijo will replace Paul Hudson as chief executive after the board opted not to renew Hudson's mandate. The move marks a leadership change as the company navigates a pipeline that produced several underwhelming trial updates last year and searches for additional medicines to sustain growth once key patents on its top-selling asthma drug Dupixent expire in the early 2030s.
Sanofi has been pursuing bolt-on acquisitions to broaden its roster of potential growth drugs, according to the company's public disclosures. The firm also flagged a drop in vaccine sales this year, driven in part by vaccine scepticism in the U.S., even as it forecast overall sales growth in the high-single-digit range.
In January, Hudson had indicated that 2026 would be an appropriate time to pursue larger deals following the company's sales outlook. The board confirmed on Thursday that Hudson will step down effective February 17. Olivier Charmeil, a member of Sanofi's board, will serve as acting chief executive during the interim period. Garijo is scheduled to take up the permanent CEO role at the conclusion of Sanofi's shareholder meeting on April 29.
Garijo brings long experience with the group, having worked at Sanofi for 15 years. Her resume also includes a board position at French cosmetics company L'Oreal and the chief executive role at German pharmaceuticals and specialty materials firm Merck KGaA. Sanofi's chairman, Frederic Oudea, said in a statement that "She has the experience and profile to accelerate the pace, strengthen the quality of execution of strategy and lead the next growth cycle of the company."
The company framed the leadership change against a backdrop of efforts to bolster future revenue streams ahead of the anticipated patent expirations for Dupixent in the early 2030s. Sanofi's recent clinical-readout performance and its activity on smaller acquisitions were cited by the company as part of its broader strategic effort to replenish its late-stage pipeline.
Sanofi also noted that vaccine revenue is expected to decline this year, a headwind the company attributes in part to vaccine scepticism in the U.S., even as it maintains a projection for high-single-digit overall sales growth. The outgoing CEO, Paul Hudson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the leadership change.
Contextual note: Information above derives from Sanofi's public announcement about its executive transition, timeline for the handover, leadership credentials, and the firm's recent strategic priorities and sales outlook.