Sanofi plans to eliminate 1,000 to 2,000 positions in France, according to French daily Le Figaro. The job cuts will be in the areas of research, the manufacturing operations of the Pasteur vaccines unit, and certain support operations at Sanofi's headquarters. In September, the company announced plans to cut its R&D headcount from 13,000 to 10,000, excluding Genzyme employees. At that time Sanofi announced plans to increase earnings by more than 5% annually and cut costs by $2.5 billion by 2015, with plans to focus on growth areas such as vaccines and animal health.
 
"No headcount reduction figures were given today," said a Sanofi spokesman, adding that manufacturing sites in France would not be affected by the project and that the company expects to present a projection in September after staff consultations during the summer.
 
Sanofi employs 28,000 in France, representing 25% of the company's total workforce, across 49 sites. The cost cutting initiatives are part of an effort to offset loss of patents on key drugs, including Plavix, and healthcare spending cuts across Europe.