Sanofi Invests in Future Industry Pharmacists Through IPhO
As part of Sanofi's commitment to supporting the next generation of industry pharmacists, we have partnered with the Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) to sponsor the 10th annual Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition. This national program provides pharmacy students with hands-on experience in biopharmaceutical drug development and commercialization, addressing a critical gap in pharmacy education where industry career pathways are rarely covered despite the significant role pharmacists play in bringing medicines to patients.
A Real-World Challenge for Tomorrow's Leaders
This year's competition brought together hundreds of student pharmacists from schools across the country, challenging them to think like industry professionals from day one. Teams didn't just study drug development – they lived it. Each team formed a mock company with cross-functional departments spanning Commercial, Medical, Research & Development, and Patient Advocacy, then developed a complete go-to-market strategy for a fictitious immunology product.
The IPhO VIP Case Competition provides student pharmacists with great learning about the drug development process and exposes them to new career pathways that can help them find different ways to help patients throughout their career.
Jim Alexander, PharmD
Founder and Executive Director, IPhO
The experience mirrors what happens every day inside companies like Sanofi: scientists, clinicians, commercial teams, and patient advocates working together to answer, "How do we get this medicine to the patients who need it?"
For many participants, this competition is their only window into pharmaceutical industry careers during pharmacy school. It's a chance to discover that a PharmD opens doors far beyond the dispensary and into clinical trials, regulatory strategy, medical affairs, and patient access programs that shape how millions of people receive care.
Why Pharmacists Matter in Biopharmaceutical Innovation
Sanofi's partnership with IPhO reflects a deeper belief about who belongs in this industry and what kind of thinking we need more of. Pharmacists bring value through their combination of rigorous scientific training, clinical judgment, and an instinct for how patients move through the healthcare system.
That last part matters more than people realize. A medicine can be scientifically brilliant and still fail patients if it's difficult to access or doesn't fit into their daily lives. Pharmacists see that gap every day, and when they bring that perspective into drug development, regulatory affairs, or market access strategy, better decisions get made.
The VIP Case Competition pushes students to think not just about whether a drug works, but whether it will reach the people it's meant to help. That's the kind of systems-level thinking the industry needs to help patients access the care they need.
Several members of the UCSF School of Pharmacy team present their winning strategy for the 10th annual IPhO VIP Case Competition, walking Sanofi leaders through their approach to trial design, commercialization, and patient access.
UCSF School of Pharmacy Wins 2025-26 Competition
This year's winning team, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy, stood out for exactly that reason. Their submission didn't just demonstrate strong scientific and clinical reasoning. It wove patient perspective into every phase of their strategy, from trial design through commercialization and access. Judges noted that the UCSF team elevated the entire conversation, showing what's possible when patient voice isn't an afterthought but a foundation.
The UCSF team had the opportunity to present their winning strategy to Sanofi leaders in Cambridge where they also got an inside look at what it's really like to work inside a biopharmaceutical company through panels, lab tours, and conversations with the people doing this work every day.
During my rotations, I have frequently encountered Sanofi's therapies in clinical practice, so being able to visit the company behind those medicines and see the broader work that goes into bringing them to patients is incredibly valuable.
Minji Kim
PharmD Candidate at UCSF School of Pharmacy
Building Careers That Put Patients First
The skills students develop through the VIP Case Competition span teamwork, cross-functional collaboration, strategic problem-solving, and patient advocacy, and these are the same skills they'll draw on throughout their careers, whether they pursue industry roles or stay in clinical practice. Many competition alumni have gone on to fellowships and full-time positions at leading pharmaceutical companies, where they're now helping bring the next generation of medicines and vaccines to patients.
Competitions like this build the leaders we all need — leaders who think patient-first. We need industry people who can ask the big questions: What problem are we trying to solve for patients? What barriers are they facing in the healthcare system? How do we make sure innovation reaches the patients who need it? PharmD training gives people a powerful voice in shaping healthcare at a very broad level.
Eric Racine, PharmD
VP & Head, US Public Affairs and Patient Advocacy, Sanofi
Sanofi's support of this competition is part of a broader commitment to creating pathways for pharmacy students to discover what's possible with their training and to build a workforce that understands both the science of drug development and the realities of patient access. The best innovations happen when the people building them never lose sight of who they're building them for.
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