French government takes new blows over deal to sell painkiller maker to US fund

Employees hold a picket line as part of a strike against the sale of a controlling stake in Sanofi subsidiary Opella, outside the Sanofi manufacturing plant in Lisieux, northwestern France, Oct. 17, 2024.

French drugmaker Sanofi's confirmation that it will sell a controlling stake in its consumer health unit to a U.S. investment fund sparked a new political backlash Monday, stoked by fears the deal marks a loss of sovereignty over key medications.