Bpifrance eyes investment in Sanofi's consumer health business
04/07/2024 17:25
July 4 (Reuters) - Bpifrance Executive Director Jose
Gonzalo said that the public investment bank is considering a
potential investment in Sanofi's SASY.PA consumer health unit,
Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
The French public investment bank is in talks with "many
funds" and may team up with the winning bidder for Sanofi's
consumer health unit, Gonzalo was quoted as saying.
Bpifrance confirmed Gonzalo had made the comments on
Sanofi's consumer health unit and other potential investments
during a briefing on Thursday.
Sanofi said in an emailed statement that it does not comment
on market rumours, adding that the French drugmaker was
progressing with its preparations for a potential separation of
the consumer health business, while keeping all options open.
Gonzalo said Bpifrance is also studying an investment in
tourism and travel company Club Med, the report said, in
comments that were also confirmed to Reuters by BpiFrance.
Club Med did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners had been in talks
with Bpifrance to jointly buy a minority stake in Club Med from
China's Fosun, French newspaper La Lettre reported in June.
The Bloomberg report also said that the sale of Les
Laboratoires Servier's generic drugmaker Biogaran is on hold due
to France's parliamentary elections, even though Bpifrance had
put in a non-binding bid with BC Partners.
Biogaran did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said in May that the
French government told drugmaker Servier it opposes a sale of
Biogaran, which has a French market share of almost a third.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexander
Smith)
((Chandni.shah@thomsonreuters.com;))