Feb 2 (Reuters) – Sanofi has breached the UK pharma code of practice with unsubstantiated claims that its Beyfortus was more effective than Pfizer’s RSV vaccine, the industry’s self-regulatory body said on Monday, responding to a complaint.
The UK’s Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority also found the French drugmaker in breach of UK rules regarding the advertisement of a prescription-only medicine to the public.
Sanofi said in an emailed statement to Reuters that it acknowledges the PMCPA ruling and has accepted the findings.
“Sanofi remains committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and responsible external engagement,” the company added.
Beyfortus is a preventive antibody, developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, to protect newborns from a common respiratory virus. Pfizer’s vaccine, Abrysvo, is administered to pregnant women that provides protection once their baby is born.
The case was triggered by an interview by Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, who told the Observer newspaper in 2024 that “maternal vaccines have a very low uptake”.
“If you’re choosing for a clinical benefit, you would choose Beyfortus,” Hudson told the newspaper.
Pfizer, which filed the complaint against Sanofi, alleged that the article promoted Beyfortus to the public, included unbalanced and misleading claims, and disparaged its vaccine.
The PMCPA panel concluded that Sanofi’s actions had brought discredit upon, and reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.
It added that no data, including direct comparative studies, showed any evidence that Sanofi’s therapy was “more effective” than Pfizer’s vaccine.
The panel also said Sanofi had later attempted to remove the claim from the article as no head-to-head studies exist.
(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru and Bhanvi Satija in London; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
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