The statement is strong and marks another step in the French President’s commitment for the health reform… This Tuesday June 16, 2020 Emmanuel Macron visited a plant of pharmaceutics giant Sanofi in Marcy-l’Etoile, Rhône, and announced he will launch on Thursday June 18, 2020 “an initiative to relocate some critical drug manufacturing”, naming paracetamol manufacturing in France.
An announced that sticks to what has been said already by the French President when launching the Ségur de la santé– a scheme to think the hospital system over in France – in late May, about the end of France’s dependence on foreign markets, especially in importing drugs and medical material. “Everybody saw during the crisis some common drugs were no longer manufactured in France and Europe” Emmanuel Macron said in his address. He promised “for instance we can fully re-manufacture, pack, and distribute paracetamol in France”.
Another topic mentioned in the address, a first €200-million envelop to “finance pharmaceutical production infrastructures, as well as for research and development” completing the €610 million investment promised a few minutes earlier by Sanofi director Paul Hudson “to extend research capacity and vaccine manufacture in Rhône” as our peers at Francetvinfo say. And to conclude by explaining “we win no economic battle if we do not believe in the industry and the industrial presence”.
A first and meaningful step, and a commitment the President will have to keep on going by quickly tackling the increase of salaries and careers of the medical staff, currently protesting, and reminding the government of their promises. Protests are being held all day in France and might go on for the next days.
