Sanofi was criticized by a U.K. trade group for violating several voluntary codes and âbringing discreditâ on the pharmaceutical industry for making misleading and unsubstantiated claims about its RSV vaccine and disparaging a rival product from Pfizer.
The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, a self-regulatory panel overseen by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, reached that conclusion after reviewing a complaint filed by Pfizer, which was prompted by remarks Sanofi chief executive Paul Hudson made in an interview with The Observer, a U.K. newspaper, in October 2024.
In its complaint, Pfizer argued Hudson made inaccurate superiority claims about the Beyfortus RSV vaccine that lacked relevant safety information. In doing so, he allegedly promoted a prescription-only medicine directly to the public, which is not permitted in the U.K., and risked undermining a government national immunization program.Continue to STAT+ to read the full storyâŚ