Sanofi does not plan to pursue the development of a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against COVID-19 because the shot will come too late to market.
The French pharmaceutical giant, which has lagged rivals in deploying the technology behind some of the world’s top-selling COVID-19 shots, made the decision despite positive results at phase 1 and 2 trials.
Carrying on with the development “wouldn’t address an immediate public health need, because the product would arrive too late on the market,” a spokesperson said. “Sanofi is focusing therefore on a recombinant protein candidate to address the needs of a booster vaccine.”
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The French drugmaker is developing that shot with Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline PLC, using a technology that is already part of the company’s seasonal flu shots.
The booster product, which faced months of delays, is now in a late-stage trial and could gain clearance by the end of the year.
Ordinarily a giant in the vaccines space, Sanofi has lagged behind BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc in the pandemic as they raced ahead with mRNA shots that have now been injected into arms more than 1 billion times and generated billions in revenue.
Last month, Sanofi bought its mRNA development partner Translate Bio Inc for US$3.2 billion with the aim of moving beyond vaccines and harnessing mRNA for treatments — something that BioNTech is investigating for cancer.
“Our goal is to unlock the potential of mRNA in other strategic areas such as immunology, oncology and rare diseases in addition to vaccines,” Sanofi chief executive officer Paul Hudson said at the time of the deal.
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