Sanofi announces leadership evolution in Specialty Care Business Unit
Rhea-AI Summary
Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) announced a leadership change in its Specialty Care Global Business Unit: Manuela Buxo will become Head of Specialty Care effective March 1, 2026, succeeding Brian Foard, who will leave the company on February 28, 2026 to pursue an external leadership opportunity.
Manuela currently leads the Global Immunology Alliance Franchise from Cambridge, Mass., has over 20 years of international healthcare experience, and for more than two years has driven global expansion of Dupixent. Sanofi says this change aims to ensure continuity and maintain momentum in Specialty Care.
Positive
- Manuela Buxo appointed Head of Specialty Care, effective March 1, 2026
- Over 20 years of international healthcare experience in leadership roles
- Led Dupixent expansion globally for more than two years
Negative
- Brian Foard to leave Sanofi as of February 28, 2026
- Executive Committee membership will change following the transition
News Market Reaction – SNY
In the Feb 17 session, SNY gained 0.91%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15 | Strategic partnership | Positive | -1.8% | Expanded Dren Bio collaboration with large upfront and milestone economics. |
| Oct 16 | Collaboration deal | Positive | +2.2% | EVOQ NanoDisc autoimmune collaboration with over $500M potential payments. |
| Oct 02 | Diagnostic partnership | Positive | +0.8% | Revvity program with Sanofi to expand type 1 diabetes early detection. |
| Sep 26 | Access initiative | Positive | +1.0% | US insulin affordability program offering access for $35 per month. |
| Sep 10 | Product promotion | Positive | -0.6% | Celebrity-backed BEYFORTUS RSV awareness campaign for infant protection. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent partnership and access announcements often coincided with modest positive moves, but not uniformly; some positive milestones saw short-term price declines.
Over the last several months, Sanofi reported multiple strategic and clinical milestones, including expanded collaborations (e.g., a Dren Bio partnership with a $100 million upfront and up to $1.7 billion in milestones) and a NanoDisc autoimmune collaboration with potential for over $500 million in payments. The company also highlighted an insulin affordability expansion to $35 per month from January 1, 2026 and broad promotion of BEYFORTUS®, supported by data from more than 400,000 babies. Against this backdrop, the new Specialty Care leadership announcement fits into an ongoing focus on immunology, specialty products, and access initiatives.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Brian joined Sanofi in 2017 and has held several senior leadership roles, most recently leading the Specialty Care Global Business Unit and serving as a member of the Executive Committee. During his tenure, Sanofi's Specialty Care strengthened its global position, driven by the launches of key medicines such as Dupixent across multiple indications and geographies.
Manuela will lead Sanofi's Specialty Care Global Business Unit and serve as a member of the Executive Committee. Based in
Olivier Charmeil, designated interim Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi, said: "I have greatly valued the opportunity to work with Brian over the years and thank him for his leadership and contributions to Sanofi. We wish him every success in the new role he has decided to pursue at this stage of his career. As we move forward, Manuela brings deep experience, longstanding commitment to Sanofi, and a thorough understanding of our Specialty Care portfolio and priorities. I am confident she will ensure strong continuity for the business while maintaining the momentum we have built and ensuring the organization continues to move with focus and speed."
Sanofi remains committed to advancing its Specialty Care priorities and ensuring continuity of execution during this transition.
About Sanofi
Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people's lives and delivering compelling growth. We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more. Our team is guided by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives; this inspires us to drive progress and deliver positive impact for our people and the communities we serve, by addressing the most urgent healthcare, environmental, and societal challenges of our time.
Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY
Media Relations
Evan Berland | +1 215 432 0234 | evan.berland@sanofi.com
Victor Rouault | +1 617 356 4751 | victor.rouault@sanofi.com
Timothy Gilbert | +1 516 521 2929 | timothy.gilbert@sanofi.com
Ekaterina Pesheva | +1 410 926 6780 | ekaterina.pesheva@sanofi.com
Sandrine Guendoul | +33 6 25 09 14 25 | sandrine.guendoul@sanofi.com
All trademarks mentioned in this press release are the property of the Sanofi group.
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used:
- to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with AD under 6 months of age.
- with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 6 years of age.
- with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in adults and children 12 years of age and older whose disease is not controlled. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with CRSwNP under 12 years of age.
- to treat adults and children 1 year of age and older with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), who weigh at least 33
pounds (15 kg). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with EoE under 1 year of age, or who weigh less than 33pounds (15 kg). - to treat adults with prurigo nodularis (PN). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with PN under 18 years of age.
- with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of adults with inadequately controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a high number of blood eosinophils (a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your COPD). DUPIXENT is used to reduce the number of flare-ups (the worsening of your COPD symptoms for several days) and can improve your breathing. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with COPD under 18 years of age.
- to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) who continue to have hives that are not controlled with H1 antihistamine treatment. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with CSU under 12 years of age, or who weigh less than 66
pounds (30 kg). - to treat adults with bullous pemphigoid (BP). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with BP under 18 years of age.
DUPIXENT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace an inhaled rescue medicine or to treat any other forms of hives (urticaria).
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have eye problems.
- have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
- are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a "live vaccine" right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
- A pregnancy registry for women who take DUPIXENT during pregnancy collects information about the health of you and your baby. To enroll or get more information call 1-877-311-8972 or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/dupixent/.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines; have asthma and use an asthma medicine; or have AD, CRSwNP, EoE, PN, COPD, CSU, or BP and also have asthma. Do not change or stop your other medicines, including corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine, without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by those medicines to come back.
DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:
- Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions, including skin reactions, that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, skin rash, including rash that looks like a bullseye, painful red or blue bumps under the skin, or red pus-filled spots on the skin, general ill feeling, itching, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, joint pain, or cramps in your stomach-area.
- Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision. Your healthcare provider may send you to an ophthalmologist for an exam if needed.
- Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, brown or dark colored urine, persistent fever, or a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs.
- Psoriasis. This can happen in people with atopic dermatitis and asthma who receive DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider about any new skin symptoms. Your healthcare provider may send you to a dermatologist for an examination if needed.
- Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms.
The most common side effects include:
- Eczema: injection site reactions, eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, eye infection, dry eye, and blurred vision, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia).
- Asthma: injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections.
- Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps: injection site reactions, eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, eye infection, and blurred vision, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), stomach problems (gastritis), joint pain (arthralgia), trouble sleeping (insomnia), and toothache.
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis: injection site reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and joint pain (arthralgia).
- Prurigo Nodularis: eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, and blurred vision, herpes virus infections, common cold symptoms (nasopharyngitis), dizziness, muscle pain, and diarrhea.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: injection site reactions, common cold symptoms (nasopharyngitis), high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), viral infection, back pain, inflammation inside the nose (rhinitis), diarrhea, stomach problems (gastritis), joint pain (arthralgia), toothache, headache, and urinary tract infection.
- Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: injection site reactions.
- Bullous Pemphigoid: joint pain (arthralgia), eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, and blurred vision, and herpes virus infections.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It's an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it's recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children 6 months to less than 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sanofi-announces-leadership-evolution-in-specialty-care-business-unit-302689223.html
SOURCE Sanofi