PARIS — Sanofi has appointed David Meeker as chief executive officer of its biotechnology subsidiary Genzyme Corp.

Plans call for Meeker to take the CEO reins at Genzyme on Nov. 1, Sanofi said Monday.

He will report to Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher and join the Group Management Committee, according to the company. Viehbacher will remain Genzyme’s chairman.

"After working closely with David over the past six months, I am confident that he is the best person to lead Genzyme," Viehbacher said in a statement. "David’s commitment to employees, physicians and patients has been a key success factor in the successful integration of Genzyme as part of the Sanofi Group. His combination of medical and business experience will be essential to move Genzyme’s broad portfolio of products forward and deliver much-needed therapies to patients."

According to Sanofi, Meeker joined Genzyme in 1994 as medical director to work on the Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy program. Since then he has held key positions of increasing responsibility as he led the development of treatments in the current rare disease portfolio, the company said. As president of the Global Rare Disease Business, he oversaw the global launches of Aldurazyme, Fabrazyme and Myozyme.

In 2009, Meeker was promoted to chief operating officer of Genzyme and has played a key role in the integration since April of this year, Sanofi said.

Sanofi added that under Meeker’s leadership, Genzyme will incorporate the Rare Disease business and the Multiple Sclerosis franchise. Previous Genzyme divisions — Renal, Biosurgery and Oncology — have been integrated within the Sanofi portfolio, giving them greater global scale and capabilities, the company said.