Sanofi was criticized by a U.K. trade group for violating several voluntary codes and “bringing discredit” on the pharmaceutical industry for making misleading and unsubstantiated claims about its RSV medication and disparaging a rival product from Pfizer.
The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), a self-regulatory panel overseen by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), 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 monoclonal antibody 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.
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