Reenergizing R&D: Sanofi Stirs The Pot, But Does It Have The Recipe?

Sanofi-Aventis SA spent the past year culling drug candidates and reorganizing its research group in an attempt to shape up a shoddy pipeline. Now, though the company is in the midst of a hostile bid to acquire the biotech Genzyme – an acquisition attempt spurred by the fact the French drug maker doesn't have enough new drugs to make up for the ones it is losing to generics – management maintains that the reorganized research group is on track to become one of the most productive in the industry.