(Corrects headline, bullet point, 1st, 8th and 9th paras to
show Sanofi expects its vaccine's phase 3 trial to finish in Q1
(not win approval for vaccine in Q1). Also corrects headline,
1st para to show it did not say vaccine would drive earnings in
2022)
* Still sees end of phase 3 trial for COVID-19 vaccine in Q1
* Sees some consolidation in pharma sector
* Sanofi will not take part -CFO
By Gwladys Fouche
PARIS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi
said it still expected its COVID-19 vaccine to complete phase 3
trial in the first quarter and reported a rise in fourth-quarter
sales and earnings on Friday.
The group, which is hoping for a comeback after losing
ground in the COVID-19 jab race, also said it was aiming for an
increase in its earnings per share in the "low double-digit" in
2022.
Its sales in the three months to December grew 4.1% to 9.99
billion euros ($11.45 billion) while its EPS came in at 1.38
euros, compared with 1.22 euros in the same quarter last year.
For the whole of 2021, its earnings per share rose by 15.5%
at constant exchange rates, while the company had guided for a
rise of 14%.
Despite being one of the biggest makers of vaccines in the
world by sales before the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanofi was beaten
by newcomers who used newer mRNA technology to immunize people
against coronavirus.
It is instead focusing on efforts with British partner
GlaxoSmithKline to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate
based on the more conventional protein-based approach, where
mass trials are ongoing.
The two partners had initially targeted approval in the
first half of 2021, which was later delayed to the end of the
year and in December, they again pushed back the expected
approval to the first quarter of 2022.
On Friday, Sanofi's chief financial officer said it still
expected the vaccine's phase 3 trial to be completed in the
first quarter.
"There is no update today. We said that it should happen
during Q1 of this year," Jean-Baptiste Chasseloup de Chatillon
told reporters.
Consumer goods giant Unilever offered 50 billion
pounds last month for the consumer healthcare business of
drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline but declined to raise its bid
when GSK sought a higher price.
De Chatillon said he expected "some consolidation" in the
pharmaceutical sector following this attempt but that Sanofi
would not be part of it. Sanofi is planning to separate its own
consumer healthcare unit by the end of 2022.
"We are not in that game," De Chatillon said, adding that
the company's focus was on growing the value of that division.
(Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Tomasz Janowski)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
Unilever (ULVR)
