Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, announced plans to evolve its business with the creation of five global business units: general medicines & emerging markets, specialty care, diabetes & cardiovascular, Sanofi Pasteur and Merial.

This new structure will be implemented beginning in January 2016. The process of legal and social consultation will be followed as required.

Sanofi's heritage has been formed from a combination of companies that have greater than a century of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. This heritage has enabled Sanofi to deliver highly innovative treatments to address the changing needs of patients, healthcare providers and customers. Sanofi is now poised to achieve significant growth with the potential of launching up to six new medicines in 2015 and approximately one new medicine every six months between 2016 and 2018.

"The new organisation simplifies and focuses Sanofi to optimise growth," said Olivier Brandicourt, chief executive officer, Sanofi.

"This is a necessary step for ensuring that Sanofi's new medicines and vaccines continue to build on our heritage of providing innovative healthcare therapies."

The general medicines & emerging markets global business unit will be led by Peter Guenter and will consist of Sanofi's established products, generics, consumer healthcare, and all pharmaceutical businesses in emerging markets.

The specialty care global business unit, to be called Sanofi Genzyme, will be led by David Meeker and will consist of Sanofi's medicines in rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, oncology and immunology, including the two, investigational biologics, sarilumab and dupilumab.

The diabetes & cardiovascular global business unit will be led by Pascale Witz and will consist of Sanofi's diabetes care medicines as well as cardiovascular, which includes Praluent (alirocumab), which is currently under review by the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Sanofi Pasteur and Merial are both global business units and will continue to manage their current portfolios of vaccines and animal health products. Olivier Charmeil will continue to lead Sanofi Pasteur and Carsten Hellmann will continue to lead Merial.

Similar to research and development and industrial affairs, all functions will be globalised to better serve the business units.

The composition of the executive committee remains unchanged. The leadership roles are effective January 1, 2016.