The Sale Of Doliprane To Americans Triggers A Political Storm In France.

Doliprane, the star medication against fever and pain, is making headlines following its controversial sale to an American investment fund. The affair has sparked an uproar, particularly due to an exceptional bonus of 200 million euros paid to its CEO.

Doliprane, a sale that worries the French government

This is news that has shaken the healthcare world: Sanofi, a major French pharmaceutical company, is selling its subsidiary Opella (which manufactures Doliprane) to the American investment fund CD&R.

Arnaud Montebourg revealed this announcement on Wednesday, October 23, on BFM TV, denouncing the “management package” (exceptional bonus awarded to executives) of 200 million euros that Julie Van Ongevalle, the director of Opella, will receive.

To protect this strategic industry, the French government reacted quickly. The Public Investment Bank (Bpifrance), which is the financial arm of the state, will acquire a small stake (1 to 2%) in the company to keep an eye on important decisions.

The government has also secured the promise of maintaining French factories, notably those in Lisieux and Compiègne, with an additional investment of 70 million euros to modernize production.

Strict measures to protect French production

To ensure that these promises will be kept, the government has planned significant financial sanctions:

• A fine of 40 million euros if production halts in France
• A penalty of 100,000 euros for each job cut
• A sanction of up to 100 million euros if the company fails to produce the promised 250 million boxes of Doliprane on French soil

The state will also check how Sanofi has used the public funds received in recent years, notably the “research tax credits” (tax reductions granted to companies conducting research).

This sale raises an important question: how to protect our essential medications against large foreign groups? Because behind this transaction lies a crucial issue: ensuring that France will always have access to its basic medications, such as Doliprane, at affordable prices and without risk of shortages.