Sanofi, looking for more ‘rigor,’ swaps CEO Hudson for ex-Merck KGaA chief Garijo

Group 1 - Sanofi announced the ouster of CEO Paul Hudson after a six-year tenure, during which Dupixent became one of the world's best-selling medicines [7] - Belén Garijo, the current CEO of Merck KGaA, will replace Hudson, with Olivier Charmeil serving as interim CEO after Hudson's departure [7] - Sanofi expressed confidence in Garijo's leadership, highlighting her previous successes and reputation in the industry [5] Group 2 - Initial investor reactions to the leadership change were negative, with Sanofi's shares dropping about 3% in late trading in Europe [3] - Analysts have raised concerns regarding Garijo's lack of a credible R&D track record and the implications for corporate governance and growth [6] - Despite the challenges, Sanofi believes Garijo will enhance the implementation of its strategy and improve R&D productivity and innovation capacity [7]