The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) in the UK has sanctioned Sanofi following controversial remarks made by its CEO, Paul Hudson. The watchdog ruled that the executive’s public statements undermined the national immunization program and brought discredit to the pharmaceutical industry.
Background and allegations
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from Pfizer regarding a 2024 article in The Observer. In the piece, Hudson was quoted making bold comparisons between Sanofi’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) product, Beyfortus, and Pfizer’s vaccine, Abrysvo:
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Preferential claims: Hudson suggested that Beyfortus should have been the preferred choice over Pfizer’s counterpart.
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Substantiation issues: The CEO claimed the UK government selected Pfizer’s shot based on cost-saving measures rather than clinical superiority, a statement Pfizer described as “disparaging” and “unsubstantiated.”
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Public impact: Pfizer argued that these claims represented a concerted effort to promote a prescription-only medicine to the public while discrediting the government’s procurement decisions.
PMCPA Ruling
The PMCPA panel determined that Sanofi had breached several standards of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) code:
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Industry Discredit: The most severe ruling found Sanofi in breach of Clause 2, signifying the company had brought discredit upon the entire pharmaceutical industry.
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Multiple Violations: Sanofi was found to have violated six other additional clauses of the industry code of practice.
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Public Health Concerns: The watchdog noted that suggesting price was prioritized over efficacy could discourage vaccine uptake, posing a potential risk to public health at a time when maternal vaccine rates are already low.
While Sanofi argued that the interview responses were unplanned and that they had taken corrective actions with the journalist involved, the PMCPA maintained that the responsibility for ensuring accurate and non-disparaging information lies with the pharmaceutical company and its leadership.