Sanofi and the government are studying the possibility for the French pharmaceutical group to use its production chains to produce anti-Covid vaccines from BioNTech and Janssen laboratories, Minister Delegate for Industry Agnès Pannier-Runacher said on Friday.
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Sanofi is working on the development of two anti-Covid vaccines but will not be able to offer one before the end of 2021. Could it therefore, like French pharmaceutical subcontractors, make available by then its production lines to manufacture anti-Covid vaccines from other pharmaceutical groups?
Agnès Pannier-Runacher indicated that she had asked her: "
We are looking with them, and they are looking with
BioNTech on one side and Janssen on the other side
if possible
", laboratories "
with which he there is the best chance of getting there
”.
Without citing any laboratory name, Sanofi, interviewed by AFP, indicated that it "
assesses in particular the technical feasibility of temporarily carrying out certain manufacturing steps to support other manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines
", emphasizing that it was "
at this stage" a "still very preliminary reflection
".
According to Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the question is primarily of a “
technical
” nature: “
Do they have tanks and teams, manufacturing capacities that are free
” and are not busy, for example, in producing the influenza vaccine?
It is also a question of knowing "
in how long can they develop this manufacture
", whereas "
technology transfers
" should be made "
in three to five months for filling doses" plus "a few more months for active principle part
”, against“
12 to 18 months in normal times
”.
Producing a vaccine within this timeframe is an "extraordinary performance"
Faced with the criticisms leveled against Sanofi, accused of being behind its competitors, the minister wanted to "
break an urban legend
": "
Sanofi was to deliver in July (...), they are three months late, as other vaccines today
”, she argued, stressing that even with this delay, producing a vaccine within these times is already“
an extraordinary performance
”.
In France, the French pharmaceutical subcontractor Delpharm announced in November that it would produce part of the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech, in its Normandy factory.
The factory of its counterpart Recipharm must for its part produce the Moderna vaccine from the end of February / beginning of March, had specified Ms. Pannier-Runacher on January 8.
Read also: Covid-19: two to three new vaccines expected in the coming months
Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Friday on franceinfo that these vaccines "
produced on French territory
" will enter "
the quota
" of vaccines ordered by Europe and distributed to France according to its population.
They will therefore not be added to his quota.