PARIS, June 8 (Reuters) - Sanofi said on Wednesday it aims to remove the board of takeover target Medivation by Aug. 1 at the latest.

The French drugmaker named eight candidates to replace the entire board of the cancer firm last month, stepping up pressure on the company which has rejected its $9.3 billion approach.

Sanofi is taking advantage of a so-called written consent rule that gives Medivation shareholders the ability to act at any time to replace directors.

"Sanofi believes there is a clear path to completion: the record date to determine Medivation shareholders entitled to give their written consent has been established as June 1," the Paris-based company said.

"Sanofi signed a consent on June 3 for the shares it owns in Medivation and therefore expects that the 60-day consent solicitation period will conclude no later than August 1." (Reporting by Matthias Blamont, editing by Louise Heavens)