French, US drug firms team up for COVID-flu shot

PARIS: French pharmaceutical huge Sanofi and struggling US rival Novavax announced on Friday (May per chance well 10) an alliance to sell a COVID-19 vaccine and bear yet any other that combines with a flu shot.

Under a licensing deal charge up to US$1.2 billion, the businesses will co-commercialise Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine worldwide, except in some international locations at the side of India, Japan and South Korea, the assign the US firm already has partnership agreements.

Novavax will obtain an upfront fee of US$500 million and up to US$700 million if it reachers determined milestones while Sanofi will plan shut a five per cent stake within the US firm.

Sanofi will ebook gross sales of Novavax’s protein-based completely mostly COVID-19 vaccine from 2025.

The French team will be ready to attain a aggregate flu-Covid vaccine using its have flu pictures with the US firm’s COVID-19 jab.

The announcement comes as pharmaceutical companies enjoy reported drops in gross sales for COVID-19 vaccines.

Novavax, which is highly dependent on its COVID-19 vaccine, raised doubts supreme 365 days about its skill to continue its change.

The Maryland-based completely mostly firm became once an early frontrunner within the global vaccine go, but fell at the assist of after being hit by manufacturing and regulatory delays.

For Sanofi, the deal is an opportunity to attain a aggregate flu-COVID jab.

“With flu and Covid-19 sanatorium admission rates now closely mirroring each diversified, we enjoy now an opportunity to attain non-mRNA flu-COVID-19 aggregate vaccines offering patients each enhanced convenience and protection against two severe respiratory viruses,” acknowledged Jean-Francois Toussaint, Sanofi’s global head of vaccine look at and style.