Sanofi (SNY) has staved off a potentially hefty fine after EU antitrust regulators accepted its offer to stop disparaging a rival flu vaccine.
The European Commission opened an investigation in June into whether the French drugmaker had denigrated Fluad, made by CSL Seqirus (CSL), primarily in France and Germany, where it competes with Sanofi’s Efluelda. Sanofi initially said it was confident it had complied with all applicable laws, but subsequently proposed a series of measures to address Brussels’ concerns, averting formal charges and a penalty of as much as 10 per cent of its global annual turnover.
“To their credit, Sanofi has engaged helpfully with the Commission since the beginning of our investigation,” said Teresa Ribera, the EU’s antitrust chief. “It is this engagement that has allowed us to reach a very fast and effective outcome.”
Under the commitments, Sanofi will not use promotional materials aimed at healthcare professionals in Germany and France to criticize national vaccination recommendations, or to highlight negatively the rival vaccine or suggest its own product is safer. The pledge is valid until 2030.
Sanofi will also publish a statement on its German and French websites within two years acknowledging that national vaccination recommendations treat Fluad and Efluelda as equivalent in protecting elderly people against flu.
CSL Seqirus welcomed the decision. “The Commission’s decision reinforces the importance of accurate, evidence-based vaccine communications that reflect independent scientific assessments and national vaccine recommendations,” the company said.