Paul Hudson

Paul Hudson became CEO of Sanofi in September 2019, recruited from Novartis where he had served as head of the pharmaceuticals division. A British executive with deep experience in both European and American pharma markets, Hudson was brought in to address Sanofi's chronic underperformance relative to peers and execute a strategic pivot toward higher-growth therapeutic areas. His signature achievement has been the transformation of Sanofi around Dupixent, the IL-4/IL-13 inhibitor co-developed with Regeneron. Dupixent has become one of the best-selling drugs in the world, with peak sales expected to exceed €20 billion annually as it gains approvals in an expanding range of allergic and inflammatory conditions — from atopic dermatitis and asthma to chronic rhinosinusitis and COPD. The drug's commercial success has fundamentally changed Sanofi's financial profile and investment narrative. Beyond Dupixent, Hudson has refocused the pipeline on immunology, rare diseases, and vaccines — Sanofi is one of the world's largest vaccine producers. He made the bold decision to spin off the consumer healthcare division (Opella, including brands like Doliprane) to focus capital and management attention on prescription medicines. This narrowing of scope was controversial in France, where Sanofi is seen as a national champion, but it reflects Hudson's conviction that shareholder value creation lies in biopharma innovation, not diversified healthcare portfolios. The key risk Hudson faces is the eventual loss of exclusivity for Dupixent and the need to demonstrate that the R&D pipeline can produce the next wave of blockbusters. His tenure will ultimately be judged on whether Sanofi emerges as a focused, innovative biopharma leader or returns to the growth challenges that preceded his appointment.