Ref. Ares(2020)2270849 - 28/04/2020
From: 
 (SANTE) 
Sent: 
vendredi 24 avril 2020 22:47 
To: 
 (SANTE) 
Cc: 
(SANTE) 
Subject: 
meeting with SANOFI on APIS on 2.04 - bto 
Dear 
 
I realised now that the email with minutes I prepared after the meeting mentioned in the title was never 
sent. I am very sorry. There is a lot of things going on. 
Please find enclosed, with contribution of 
 
Best regards 
 
2 April 2020 
Meeting SANOFI with Martin Seychell  
Participants: Martin Seychell,
 (SANTE); 
 
 (SANOFI) 
SANOFI asked for a meeting to present their initiative of setting up a new APIs business.  
MS welcomed the initiative and asked for an update. MS asked, taking into account the current crisis, 
how this situation affected ongoing operations. 
SANOFI informed that they took a decision to create the European champion 
 
This decision was taken before the crisis started 
and the launch pf new big API producing plant is planned 
. SANOFI confirmed 
that dependency on raw materials and APIs is an issue for pharmaceutical industry. The APIs business 
should be recognized as priority for Europe and enjoy he necessary support. The API industry is highly 
capitalised, need capital and investment. It also requires that chemistry is treated as important part of 
the education.  
As regards the current situation, the SANFI noted an increase of the demand in general, which reaches 
800% in cases of some medicines. SANOFI increased the manufacturing capacity to respond to increased 
demand. The increased worldwide demand for some medicines lead to some toxic behavior on the 
market (speculation on raw materials, produced in 
and 
 which may affect the ability to 
supply. 
 
 
 
 
MS stressed that COM, firstly, focuses now to help industry in order to ensure the supply of necessary 
medicines and is taking immediate actions (e.g. clearing house initiative). Secondly, the crisis confirmed 
clearly that the issue of dependency, already flagged before, requires a strategic response. It is 
important to identify the strategic products, get overview of the production capacity in Europe and raw 
material available, and reflect how to incentivise the production (forms of financing, public/private 
partnership). There are financial instruments that may be considered to support the APIs industry 

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(Invest EU, IEB). The issue of EU strategic autonomy will be also addressed in chemical strategy and also 
pharmaceutical strategy. MS asked what measure can be taken in short and medium-term to improve 
the situation and how other companies can be encouraged to follow SANOFI example? What are the 
bottle necks? SANOFI committed to come back with outline of issues.  
 
In the end of the meeting short discussion took place on the potential treatments and vaccines in the 
light of the current COVID crises. Firstly Sanofi Pasteur representative was briefing on the research of 
existing products as potential treatments for COVID-19, 
 
 which aims to clinical trials.  From vaccine 
development side Sanofi mainly referred to the COVID vaccine produced with 
 
Sanofi addressed that the COVID crises puts the infection diseases in the new light from ‘marketing’ 
perspective, too, and may change the ‘market failure’ –attitude. The evolution of infectious disease is 
also more difficult to predict, also in respect to medication needs, compared to other type of diseases. 
The COM welcomed the dialog and raised issues concerning production development , need for 
potential regulatory flexibility and, facing the massive demand in the time of crises, the production 
capacity and investment needs in the EU. 
 

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