He spent eight years with the Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, where he focused on malaria research in West and Central Africa.

Brandicourt joined Pfizer in 2000, after its acquisition of Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis, where he started his career, first in Medical Affairs and later in Marketing and Management.

[3][4] He served as a member of the executive leadership team of Pfizer Inc. and oversaw the introduction of the cholesterol treatment Lipitor.

[2][8][9] His golden handshake of US$4.5 million upon taking on the appointment was criticized by French Ministers Stéphane Le Foll and Ségolène Royal.

[10] In November 2015, Sanofi announced its 2020 Strategic Plan that implies reshaping its activities into 3 portfolios: Diabetes, cardiovascular, and vaccines.