Gérard Le Fur, the chief executive ousted from Sanofi-Aventis last week after less than two years in office, could receive up to €8m ($11.3m) this year from the French pharmaceutical group before he stands down in December.

Regulatory filings show that the board agreed in February to pay Mr Le Fur a "termination benefit" equivalent to 24 months of his last total remuneration in the event of his "removal from office".