Positive Nine Months At Sanofi

French health and beauty company Sanofi has posted strong growth duringthe first nine months of 1997, with sales rising 10% over the like, year-earlier period to 18.58 billion French francs ($3.17 billion).

Pharmaceuticals continued to progress well, with sales of the top ten products increasing 16% during the first nine months. Geographically, revenues in western Europe and North America remained steady, while growth of over 20% was registered in Asia, Latin America and central and eastern Europe. Sanofi added that the antihypertensive Avapro (irbesartan), launched in the UK and Germany in September, will be launched in the rest of Europe and the USA before the end of the year. Plavix (clopidogrel; Marketletter November 3), for thrombosis, is set to be launched in first-quarter 1998.

Mark Tracey, John Murphy and Jane Henderson at Goldman Sachs believe that Avapro and Plavix have the potential to achieve sales of more than $1 billion and claim that net income at Sanofi should more than double in the next five years. The analysts have recently upgraded their rating on Sanofi from market outperformer to recommended list.