Sanofi chief poised to face up to health care industry challenges

Jean-Christophe Pointeau, country chair of Sanofi China, is poised for challenges and breakthroughs in the health care industry, in line with the commitment of the French pharmaceutical giant to blaze new trails.

Sanofi is one of the pioneering multinational pharmaceutical companies to have opened an office in China in the early years of economic reform. Today, China is its second-largest market, just after US.

Led by Pointeau, Sanofi China tops the vaccine business category among multinational pharmaceutical companies in China and ranks third in pharmaceutical business, marked by double-digit growth for years.

However, in pursuit of better performance, Pointeau hasn't lost sight of human care. A year ago, he initiated a charity program and organized volunteers to help severely ill children.

In recognition of his dedication and contribution to the local health care industry, Pointeau was granted the 2018 Magnolia Award.

"I'm honored to receive the award. It's not only a praise for me, it is also a full affirmation for Sanofi China. It highly recognizes our years of efforts in supporting the city's economic growth and health care development, and implementing the corporate social responsibility,?he said.

Sanofi came to China in 1982, four years after the country launched its reform and opening-up policy.

Since then, Sanofi China has grown from a single office in Beijing to become a leading force in the nation's pharmaceutical industry, headquartered in Shanghai and with 11 branches across the country. It has introduced more than 40 medicines and vaccines, some of which target seven of the top 10 leading causes of death in China.

"Sanofi China has been growing up with the city," Pointeau said.

Shanghai's Pudong New Area was appointed to spearhead economic reform in 1990 and Sanofi set up its Shanghai office five years later.

Having lived and worked in the city for nearly a decade, Pointeau is impressed by its business ambience.

"As a world-class cosmopolitan metropolis, Shanghai has always been at the forefront of China's reform and opening up," he said. "Multinational companies are gravitated to the city by its attractive business ambience, particularly the innovative ecosystem in the biopharmaceutical sector."

The city's soft power -- government departments, academic institutions, enterprises and talents -- "touches and prompts" Sanofi to put down deep roots here, he said.

Shanghai is also home to Sanofi China's China R&D center and its Asia-Pacific R&D hub, one of its four global R&D centers.

Sanofi is committed to the idea of innovation and partnership and Pointeau thinks it is of vital importance to activate local resources.

Sanofi started to work with Chinese scientists in 2015 and so far, has reached more than 60 strategic partnerships with China's top research institutions. Meanwhile, it has financed and fostered 235 outstanding researchers over the past 10 years through a foundation launched with Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences.

Sanofi China is also embracing the changes brought by the digital era.

This year, Sanofi China is working with emerging startups to nurture digital health care projects. One is the MC2 platform, a personalized medical information platform.

Active member of society

Pointeau also hopes to build closer ties with the government and other industry players. In December last year, he was elected chairman of RDPAC, the R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee. It is a non-profit group of 40 multinational pharmaceutical companies, affiliated to the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment.

RDPAC member companies have 49 factories and 31 R&D centers in China with an average annual investment of more than 8 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion) for research and development. They form 210 partnerships with universities, hospitals and research institutions in the country to develop new drug development and technology transfer.

"We aim to partner with the government to bring innovative and quality medicines to benefit more patients in China and actively contribute to the Healthy China strategy," Pointeau said.

"We know that only through cross-industry cooperation and by combining our individual strengths can we realize the common vision of a healthy China," he added

In November, Shanghai will hold the first China International Import Expo and Pointeau thinks it is a golden chance for the company to have a better understanding and deeper involvement in the Chinese health ecosystem.

"Sanofi will have a 300-square-meter booth to showcase our first-class innovations from around the world,?he said. "Also, we can strengthen our partnership with our Chinese stakeholders."

It's not only a matter of making and selling drugs when it comes to be a leading force in the Chinese health landscape. Pointeau is also concerned about people with needs.

Sanofi China has offered free medicines worth more than 400 million yuan to patients with Gaucher's disease, a genetic disorder.

Sanofi Hope Volunteer Group, established in 2012, has helped more than 7,000 Sanofi volunteers launch over 300 activities for more than 40,000 children and other groups in need.

Pointeau initiated Sanofi Hope Volunteer Day last year when hundreds of volunteers from 12 cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, visited thousands of sick children at hospitals and rehabilitation institutions.

At Shanghai Children's Medical Center, volunteers visited children with blood disorders, teaching them about plants and playing games.

"It's a new attempt to meet the social needs with our expertise in health," Pointeau said. "We hope that this project will empower children in need, but also motivate more people to join in and act together, promoting sustainable development for the future of healthy China."