Sanofi's Dupixent Drives Strong Q1 Performance, Eyes COPD Market Expansion

Sanofi, in partnership with Regeneron, has reported a robust first quarter for 2025, largely driven by the continued success of their immunotherapy blockbuster, Dupixent. The company's strategic focus on expanding Dupixent's indications, particularly in chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), is setting the stage for significant growth in the coming years.

Dupixent's Rapid Uptake in COPD

Following its FDA approval for COPD in September 2024, Dupixent has achieved remarkable coverage rates. Brian Foard, Sanofi's head of specialty care, announced during the company's Q1 conference call that Medicare and commercial coverage for Dupixent in COPD has reached 90% and 88%, respectively. This "record-setting pace" in coverage has contributed to Dupixent becoming the company's fastest respiratory initiation launch to date.

Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson emphasized the importance of educating pulmonologists and patients about Dupixent's benefits, noting that many COPD patients had previously "resigned themselves to their condition." The company has already launched Dupixent for COPD in eight countries and anticipates 2025 to be the "inflection year" for the treatment in this indication.

Impressive Sales Growth and New Indications

Dupixent's Q1 sales reached €3.5 billion ($4 billion), marking a 20% year-over-year increase. This performance builds on the drug's strong 2024 results, where it generated $14.1 billion in sales, up 22% from 2023. Sanofi and Regeneron project Dupixent sales to reach $22 billion by 2030, with the COPD indication playing a crucial role in achieving this target.

The FDA recently approved Dupixent for its seventh indication, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), a hives disorder. An additional approval for bullous pemphigoid (BP), a skin disease, is expected later this year, further expanding the drug's reach.

Sanofi's Overall Performance and Portfolio Diversification

Sanofi's strong quarterly performance extended beyond Dupixent, with total sales reaching €9.9 billion ($11.3 billion), a 10% increase year-over-year. Notably, the hemophilia A treatment Altuviiio saw a 100% leap in sales to €251 million ($285 million). Hudson highlighted Altuviiio's potential to become the company's next blockbuster this year, benefiting from patient switches away from factor VIII replacement medicines like Sanofi's Eloctate.

While Eloctate experienced a 21% decline in sales to €70 million ($80 million), Sanofi's factor IX replacement treatment for hemophilia B, Alprolix, grew by 20% to €160 million ($182 million). This diversification in Sanofi's portfolio demonstrates the company's ability to navigate changing market dynamics and maintain growth across multiple therapeutic areas.