UK first EU market for Sanofi Pasteur quadrivalent flu vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN), announced today that, for the first time, it is making available its quadrivalent influenza vaccine in the UK, making it the first European country to market Sanofi Pasteur’s quadrivalent influenza vaccine.

“Flu is an unpredictable virus which can lead to serious complications, hospitalization, and in some cases even fatalities, especially for those in at risk patient groups and in particular those above 65 years as well as those with chronic diseases like asthma, heart disease and diabetes,”said Dr Ian Gray, medical head, Sanofi Pasteur UK & Ireland. “The UK authorities are leading the way in Europe by encouraging those in at risk groups to get vaccinated against flu. Sanofi Pasteur fully supports such immunization policies by developing innovative vaccines that fit with the influenza epidemiology, providing the option for broad protection for those aged 3 years and older,” he added.

Currently, the majority of seasonal influenza vaccines are trivalent, meaning that they protect against three strains of influenza virus: two A strains and one single B strain. However, over the recent flu seasons, co-circulation of two B strains has been consistently observed. For example, in 2015 92% of documented B strain-related cases of influenza reported in Europe were caused by a B strain which was not included in the available trivalent vaccines during that season. The quadrivalent influenza vaccines include both B strains. By adding protection against the additional B strain, these innovative vaccines help address the unpredictable nature of B strain circulation, thus broadening protection against influenza.