Sanofi is screened out under 2 exclusion reasons spanning 1 issue category.
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. It is a statement of values.
Sanofi is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription drugs, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. A core part of its business model involves animal testing for regulatory compliance and product development. The company has historically relied on the forced swim test, a controversial behavioral assay.
Between 1993 and 2019, Sanofi conducted this test on more than 1,500 mice and rats, according to documentation from PETA. In the forced swim test, small animals are placed in inescapable containers of water to induce panic and near-drowning. The company failed to produce a single usable antidepressant from this research. Following sustained pressure from PETA scientists and public campaigns beginning in 2018, Sanofi announced in September 2024 that it would no longer use the forced swim test. The company has published a goal of reducing animal use by 50% by 2030 and maintains a set of internal Principles for the Protection of Animals.
Sanofi conducts animal testing as a core component of its pharmaceutical research and development. The company states that the use of animals in research is justified for human health benefits, and its Sanofi Pasteur division confirms adherence to animal-use regulations. As a global pharmaceutical company, its product pipeline inherently relies on animal data for regulatory compliance and safety testing.
In September 2024, following a campaign by PETA, Sanofi banned the forced swim test—a behavioral experiment that forces mice and rats to swim to avoid drowning—from its research protocols. PETA also secured a commitment from the company to end the killing of animals for training purposes. Sanofi publishes data on the number of animals used and reports a global reduction in that count. In June 2024, the company partnered with Charles River Laboratories on a Virtual Control Groups initiative, which aims to minimize animal testing by utilizing retrospective data in certain studies.
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