FiercePharma | By Carly Helfand
Pharma
is riding an M&A deal wave like none the industry has ever seen, with
companies looking to shed noncore businesses and bulk up in areas they want to
focus on. But Sanofi? Not interested, CEO Chris Viehbacher says.
"Unlike
everybody else, we feel we've got critical mass in all of our businesses,"
he told Bloomberg in an interview.
With
Big Pharma peers Novartis ($NVS), GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK), Eli Lilly ($LLY), Bayer and Merck ($MRK) racking up a record $139 billion in deals so
far this quarter--not to mention the failed $117 billion play Pfizer ($PFE) made for AstraZeneca ($AZN)--Sanofi's ($SNY) name has come up more than once in the melee.
But despite reports that it's had its eye on up-for-grabs assets, Viehbacher
insists the French company is happy where it is.
As
the news service points out, Sanofi this year forecast its first annual profit
increase in four years after generics took down high-flyers like blood thinner Plavix. The company expects to ride back to growth on
the backs of new multiple sclerosis treatments Aubagio and Lemtrada, and it has a portfolio of rare-disease candidates waiting in the wings thanks to its
$20.1 billion Genzyme pickup in 2011.
"I
am feeling great about what we have; I haven't felt this great in years,"
Viehbacher said.
But
that doesn't mean he'll be putting the blinders on. As the hunt-or-be-hunted
craze continues, white knight opportunities could open up; Allergan ($AGN), looking to dodge Valeant's ($VRX) pursuit, reportedly reached out to the
Paris-based pharma last month. And analysts have suggested Sanofi could go
after the apple of Shire's ($SHPG) eye, NPS Pharmaceuticals, whose rare-disease
offerings make it a logical target for either drugmaker.
With
valuations soaring, though, the cost of dealmaking is high, Viehbacher noted.
"We
look constantly at everything just to make sure that we are not missing an
opportunity, but at today's prices I don't see anything that I can acquire that
strengthens our company and creates value for our shareholders," he said,
adding, "I am very glad I did most of my M&A activity from 2009 to
2011."