EU Probes Sanofi Over Rival Flu Vaccine Disparagement
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- European Commission opened an antitrust investigation into Sanofi over an allegedly "misleading" campaign that disparaged a rival flu vaccine recommended for vulnerable patients at risk of developing the illness.
- Sanofi allegedly portrayed CSL Seqirus's Fluad as inferior to its own Efluelda vaccine in a communication campaign primarily targeting healthcare professionals in Germany and France, where Sanofi holds a dominant market position.
- The campaign purportedly suggested evidence supporting the CSL Seqirus shot was weaker than for Sanofi's vaccine and contradicted national vaccine recommendations in several EU member states.
- Efluelda, Sanofi's vaccine, is specifically designed to provide greater protection against influenza for people over 60 years old.
Why it matters: If the EC finds Sanofi abused its dominant position in Germany and France, the company could face substantial EU antitrust fines and restrictions on comparative vaccine marketing. The probe also matters because Fluad is named as the only rival flu vaccine recommended for vulnerable patients — making the alleged disparagement a public-health concern as well as a competition one.
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