"
It did not deserve such a controversy
."
In the columns of the
Journal du Dimanche
, Paul Hudson, boss of Sanofi, assures that he does not understand the criticism of his laboratory since he announced that his anti-Covid vaccine would not come out before the end of the year 2021. “
We would have liked to be ready earlier.
But to design the best possible vaccine, no compromise on its effectiveness was possible, particularly vis-à-vis the oldest populations
, ”he explains.
Also read: Why Sanofi is lagging behind in vaccine research
Paul Hudson says he “
assumes
” his choice to focus on “
a safe and proven platform
”.
Messenger RNA has, according to him, "
won the battle for speed
", but its effectiveness questions "in the
face of future pandemics
", he judges.
Hence the importance of having "
several technological options
" available.
So “
why this 'Sanofi bashing'?
»He asks himself.
"
We talk about 'fiasco' or 'disaster', regardless of facts and data, while our employees work tirelessly to develop this vaccine, and we will accomplish in a few months what normally takes years,
" says the boss of the laboratory.
Sanofi will begin “
in the coming days
” the new phase 2 of clinical trials for its recombinant protein vaccine, developed in partnership with GSK, specifies Paul Hudson.
“
We are working to make it available in the last quarter.
This vaccine will play an important role in the protection of millions of people in Europe and elsewhere,
”he says.
"We have to make choices"
At the same time, the French laboratory will provide industrial support to its competitor Pfizer.
“
It was the best thing to do and it's not that easy.
Production lines must be adapted and very demanding safety standards respected, in order to carry out complex operations under extremely low temperature conditions
, ”he explains.
“
We are the first to do this and, for now, we are doing more than many others!
"
Read also: Flu shots carry Sanofi
The boss of Sanofi also wished to put an end to the controversy concerning the cuts of jobs in the R&D departments of the group.
“
We have to make choices.
Sanofi has not made any major discoveries for twenty years in France, hence the need to refocus our efforts there in areas where we can develop the most innovative drugs
, ”he explains.
The CEO of the laboratory also wanted to put an end to the controversy concerning the payment of dividends.
"
It is necessary to maintain the confidence of our investors in order to continue to be able to finance research
", he concludes.