Business news in brief

Gabriel Mandujano, founder and CEO of the eco-friendly Wash Cycle Laundry, of Philadelphia, won the $25,000 first-place prize at the Blackstone LaunchPad Demo Day pitch competition in New York. Calling Blackstone "among the savviest investors on the planet," Mandujano said the win was valuable recognition for sustainable businesses in general. Mandujano represented Philadelphia University's Blackstone LaunchPad in the competition of 20 entrepreneurs. LaunchPad provides coaching resources to entrepreneurs. - Diane Mastrull

French drugmaker Sanofi fired CEO Chris Viehbacher, ending a six-year tenure in which he caused tension with board members and French politicians by shifting the company's focus to the U.S. and overhauling its struggling research operation. Sanofi's stock fell 4.5 percent in Paris on Wednesday. Sanofi has research facilities in Malvern and Swiftwater, Pa. Its U.S. headquarters is in Bridgewater, N.J. - Bloomberg News

Hershey Inc.'s third-quarter net income fell 4 percent as costs rose. The chocolate bar and candy maker earned $223.7 million for the period ending Sept. 28, down from $233 million a year ago. Total costs climbed to $1.6 billion from $1.48 billion. Revenue increased 6 percent, to $1.96 billion from $1.85 billion. Sales in North America rose 4.2 percent on new products and strong sales tied to Halloween. International sales climbed 18.4 percent. - Associated Press

Bringing 12,000 attendees, the American College of Emergency Physicians decided to hold its 2023 annual scientific gathering at the Convention Center in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau said Wednesday, following the emergency physicians group's 2014 meeting in Chicago. The doctors last met here in 2000, before the Convention Center expansion. The local officials expect the attendees to generate $29.6 million in economic impact, including booking 21,855 nights in hotel rooms. - Jane M. Von Bergen

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Honeywell Inc., based in Morristown, N.J., over a health-care policy that requires employees and their spouses to take medical tests or face monetary penalties. The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on behalf of two Minnesota employees. Honeywell began in Minnesota and still has facilities in the state. The case could define how far an employer can go in shifting health-care costs to employees based on their behavior. The EEOC claims Honeywell's new health-screening policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Star Tribune reported. Honeywell says the plan complies with the law. - AP

Quaker Chemical Corp.'s net sales for the third quarter of 2014 rose about 8 percent compared with the same period a year ago, from $184.1 million to $198.9 million, the Conshohocken company said. Included in the net sales growth for the third quarter of 2014 was 1.7% of additional sales from its acquisition of ECLI Products L.L.C. - Inquirer staff

All 55 suburban Philadelphia taxi operators suspended for lack of adequate insurance have been allowed to resume operations, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said Wednesday. The cab companies were among 66 the PUC suspended Friday after the financial collapse of First Keystone Risk Retention Group, a major provider of insurance for taxis. And virtually all 466 Philadelphia taxis similarly ordered to replace their insurance last week by the Philadelphia Parking Authority have done so, said an attorney for the cab owners. - Paul Nussbaum

Express Scripts Holding Co., which manages prescription-drug benefits for 90 million Americans, could drop Gilead Sciences Inc.'s best-selling hepatitis C drug, Solvadi at $84,000, from its coverage midyear under a clause in its formulary. In a first for the company, Express Scripts' 2015 list of covered drugs has an asterisk when it comes to hepatitis C, allowing the prescription drug manager to change its coverage at any time during the year, instead of waiting until the following January. - Bloomberg News

Electronic Arts Inc., producer of the Madden and FIFA video games, posted second-quarter sales and profit that topped analysts' estimates on soaring mobile use of its sports titles. EA is benefiting from the growing popularity of games played on smartphones and tablets, along with the new generation of game consoles from Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. - Bloomberg News

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV plans to spin off Ferrari to help raise about $4.7 billion needed to counter mounting debt, giving investors a rare chance to buy into one of the most storied names in the automotive industry. Ferrari has capped production at about 7,000 cars to safeguard exclusivity. - Bloomberg News