The European Union has opened an investigation into the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi for potential anticompetitive practices in the marketing of Efluelda, its flu vaccine designed for people over 60. It is suspected that the company may have used its dominant position to limit competition and maintain high prices for an essential medication for the most vulnerable population. The aim of the case is to ensure that consumers have access to fair prices and real alternatives in the market.
The technological shielding of vaccines and its impact on competition 💉
Efluelda differs from conventional flu vaccines due to its high-dose and adjuvant formulation, designed to generate a stronger immune response in older people. Sanofi has patented this process, granting it a temporary monopoly over the technology. The investigation analyzes whether the company artificially extended its control through strategies such as refusing to license its know-how or creating regulatory barriers that prevented the entry of biosimilars. The case echoes others in the sector, where intellectual property was used to block third-party innovation.
Gold-plated vaccine for a lifetime of flu 💰
While Brussels investigates whether Sanofi has priced its vaccine like a diamond, people over 60 wonder if the jab hurts more from the needle or the cost. Apparently, the pharmaceutical company's strategy was simple: if you can't compete, make sure others can't even get close. Like in the pharmaceutical monopoly game, the starting square costs you a kidney, and the flu square costs you the other. The EU, for its part, tries to remind them that the common good should not be a lucrative business.