The company's going to need that pipeline with 2012's hammer blow of expiring patents. Sanofi's blockbuster bloodthinner Plavix lost patent protection back in May after long holding the No. 2 spot in worldwide drug sales. Given that the drug in the past year pulled in almost $7 billion in the U.S. alone for the company and its Plavix partner Bristol Myers-Squibb, Sanofi will need to recoup the hit from generic drugs eating up market share in the coming years. Given the superior success of AstraZeneca 's ( NYS: AZN ) own bloodthinner, Brilinta, over Plavix, Sanofi's loss could be AstraZeneca's gain.