Stay informed with free updates
Simply sign up to the Pharmaceuticals sector myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.
The EU’s competition watchdog has launched a probe into Sanofi to assess whether the French drugmaker implemented a “misleading” communications campaign against a rival flu vaccine maker, the bloc’s antitrust enforcer announced on Friday.
Sanofi manufactures the Efluelda flu vaccine, which competes in Europe with CSL Seqirus’s vaccine Fluad.
The European Commission raised concerns that Sanofi’s campaign, which primarily targeted healthcare professionals in Germany and France, served to “disparage Fluad by portraying it as inferior to Efluelda, going against national vaccination recommendations in several Member States”.
The Commission said on Friday that its concerns around Sanofi, which it deems to hold a dominant market position, centred on claims suggesting that “the evidentiary basis for Fluad is weaker than that for Efluelda” as well as misleading representations of national vaccination recommendations.
It also pointed to Sanofi’s claims suggesting that Germany’s national vaccination recommendation for Fluad remains subject to “unresolved scientific objections from medical professional societies”.
The probe follows antitrust raids by regulators in September last year.
Under EU rules, antitrust breaches can ultimately lead to fines of up to 10 per cent of worldwide annual turnover.
Teresa Ribera, the EU’s competition chief, said “unbiased scientific evaluations, and trust in independent scientific authorities are key for public health policies”.
The Spanish politician argued the probe shows “the Commission’s determination to address disparagement practices that can unduly damage competition and informed choices by consumers”.
Sanofi is one of three large makers of seasonal flu vaccines, alongside the UK’s GSK and Australia’s CSL Seqirus. AstraZeneca and Viatris also make flu vaccines.
Following the announcement of the investigation, the company said: “Sanofi is confident that it has acted, and continues to act, in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including competition law. The company takes these matters seriously and is co-operating fully with the European Commission throughout the process.”
Sanofi added: “Sanofi remains committed to supporting fair competition and ensuring continued access to innovative vaccines for patients.”
The probe marks the first major challenge for Belén Garijo, who took over as Sanofi’s chief executive last month. Garijo was brought in to replace Paul Hudson, after the group struggled to develop new treatments during his tenure.
Sanofi has suffered setbacks in clinical trials in recent years, with treatments for multiple sclerosis and eczema disappointing investors. Investors are concerned the company has yet to develop a replacement for Dupixent, its blockbuster asthma treatment. The company earned more than a third of its 2025 revenues from Dupixent sales but the drug loses patent exclusivity in the early 2030s.
Shares in Sanofi were unmoved in midday trading in Paris on Friday.
Additional reporting by Adrienne Klasa and Maxine Kelly
