The Impact brand
- They have exactly the same quality
- They are produced in the same plants as the original brands
- The only difference is the name and packaging: a unique packaging that is equipped with a QR code with access to leaflets in several local languages.
The Impact brand is a part of Sanofi's Global Health Unit (GHU), the social business entity of Sanofi.
The Impact branded products are the same as Sanofi's original products just with a different name. Impact branded products are not generics at all.
Sanofi GHU's objective is to make quality medicines available and affordable for patients inselected number of low and middle income countries. The other countries will keep the original brand names.
Rebranding the products for those LMICs allows us to distribute the same products at much lower prices without running a risk of parrallel trade. The aim is to ensure that patients across those LMICs can access medical treatments at affordable prices.
Our production plants will manufacture unique Impact references for all selected LMICs instead of the several references currently distributed. It allows us to optimize production volumes and lower production costs. These optimizations will result in much lower prices for the patients.
The Impact products are exactly the same as the original product brands.
Pricing and production
Because we optimize the costs of the supply chain, manufacturing costs and registration costs, Impact branded products can be offered at better prices than the original brand.
The short answer is no. The Impact products are manufactured in the same factories as the original Sanofi products. This means that they are subject to the same quality control and rigor rules.
Our quality procedures are very strict, our pharmacist responsible will control and release Impact branded products based on the same manufacturing specifications as the original products.
When our production plant manufactures the product, there is no difference until the very last steps of the packaging process: the plant will package the products in boxes with the Impact brand. In other words, there is absolutely no difference in the quality and the product is the same.
Lowering the price may generate risks of parallel trade in neighboring countries, which means that patients will not get the benefit from the lower prices and we will not be able to reach the populations with the highest need.
Sanofi's GHU purpose is to be sustainable and offer the most affordable prices to patients. The prices offered are aligned to the cost of goods which enables Sanofi's GHU to supply the products at lower prices.
However, our costs of goods depends also on the prices of the raw materials, energy prices, workers salary and environmental regulations. This means that prices can change, depending on these factors. But the quality will always remain the same.
Prices will be different because the channel of distribution is different.
In the public market, for important volumes (for example Ministry of Health tenders) the distribution channel will be shorter (minimum number of intermediates).
In the private market, the distribution channel of products might be longer (distributors, wholesalers, pharmacies). Therefore the prices will be higher.
We will also supply products to NGOs, that may grant medicines to patients for free.
Before lauching Impact products, we will verify the production plant capacities and constraints. Only after the plants confirm their capacities to manufacture for the GHU countries will we launch the products.
The products that we have selected to rebrand under the Impact name were also chosen because we know we can maintain the production for all the GHU countries.
Sanofi's GHU has invested significant resources to launch the Impact brand for patients to access our products, with the same quality but at a better price. We would not invest in this if we didn’t have the certainty of maintaining production.
Market and brand transition
We found that in some countries, patients don't have access to quality medicines either because of high prices or because of difficulties in the availability of medicines due to supply chain problems.
In order to overcome this, we are dedicated to a social business strategy that helps minimize these challenges in the countries we operate.
That depends on the situation in each country.
If the original brand is already registered in the country and the Impact product is registered before any expiry, the two brands will coexist. However, in the long run the availability of the original brand will decrease and the availability of the Impact brand will increase.
The countries where we operate across 5 continents mean a huge number of patients speaking many languages. All patients do not read English. That is why, we have developed a unique packaging that is equipped with a QR code with access to leaflets in several local languages.
When scanning the QR code you get access to a website that prompts you to open the electronic leaflet in either Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Laotian, Khmer, Burmese, Pashto or Kishwali. We could easily add other languages.
Didn't find your answer? 
Don't worry, we're here to help you! Reach out to us and let's talk.
MAT-GLB-2304595 (v3.0)
DOP: April 2024