Novartis and Sanofi Stockpile Meds in Preparation for Brexit

If the UK leaves the EU in March without a deal, transport of insulin and other essential drugs could be delayed.

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Novartis, Sanofi, and other drug companies are preparing for Brexit by stockpiling their medicines. Sanofi, the world’s lead supplier of insulin, will soon have a 14-week supply of its drugs stored in the UK, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday (August 1).

“Sanofi is confident that its contingency plans will ensure that people in the UK can access the treatments they need after the UK leaves the European Union,” Hugo Fry, managing director of the company’s UK arm, tells BBC News.

Drug makers are preparing for what’s called a no-deal Brexit, where the UK will no longer be subject to EU law but will not have finalized future trade deals with European countries, meaning that there may be delays or barriers to cross-border transactions for drugs and other goods. According to Reuters, over 2,600 drugs go through at least one manufacturing stage in Britain, and each month 45 million ...

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Meet the Author

  • Ashley Yeager

    Ashley started at The Scientist in 2018. Before joining the staff, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, a writer at the Simons Foundation, and a web producer at Science News, among other positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Ashley edits the Scientist to Watch and Profile sections of the magazine and writes news, features, and other stories for both online and print.

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