Sanofi is a global healthcare company dedicated to developing and producing vaccines. With a long history, it has significantly contributed to public health worldwide. Its operations emphasize preventing infectious diseases through immunization, highlighting Sanofi’s role in addressing global health challenges.
Sanofi’s Role in Vaccine Innovation
Sanofi has a long-standing commitment to advancing vaccine development. For nearly 150 years, the company has pursued scientific advancements to protect public health from devastating diseases. This dedication involves continuous research and development efforts, focusing on identifying and addressing unmet public health needs for new vaccines.
The company’s scientific approach centers on developing vaccine antigens, molecules that trigger the immune response against disease-causing germs. Sanofi also explores how vaccines might prevent chronic diseases, recognizing the broader health benefits of immunization. Their R&D strategy takes a holistic view, considering the long-term collective effects of vaccines on overall well-being.
Sanofi uses market research to guide its vaccine research and production strategies, analyzing data from clinical trials, global infection rates, and emerging virus variants. This approach allows the company to identify unmet medical needs and refine vaccine formulations, leading to innovative vaccines. For instance, market research indicated a rising demand for combination vaccines, which led Sanofi to develop formulations that protect against multiple diseases in a single dose, simplifying immunization schedules.
The company’s R&D uses an immunoscience approach, evaluating pathways of immunity and their function independently of specific diseases. This strategy allows Sanofi to explore novel technologies for a new generation of vaccines that aim for extended protection, enhanced efficacy, and improved accessibility. Sanofi actively engages with external partners to access cutting-edge scientific developments, ensuring a broad pipeline of potential new medicines.
Key Vaccines from Sanofi
Sanofi produces a range of vaccines for various infectious diseases. Among these are influenza vaccines for seasonal flu. Fluzone Quadrivalent, for example, contains inactivated viruses from four influenza strains, two A strains and two B strains, for the current flu season. This vaccine is approved for individuals six months of age and older, helping the immune system produce antibodies.
For individuals 65 years and older, Sanofi offers Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent, which contains four times the antigen of standard-dose influenza vaccines. This higher antigen content aims to elicit a stronger immune response and provide better protection in older adults. Studies have shown it to be more effective than standard-dose Fluzone in preventing influenza in this age group.
Sanofi also manufactures Imovax Polio, an inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) that prevents poliomyelitis. This vaccine consists of chemically killed polioviruses and is administered as an injection, typically to infants as young as six weeks, children, and adults. Imovax Polio is available as a single-antigen vaccine and is also included in some combination vaccines like Pentacel and Quadracel.
DTaP vaccines, such as Adacel and Daptacel, protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). Adacel is indicated for active booster immunization in individuals aged 4 years and older, including adolescents and adults. It is a sterile suspension containing tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, along with five purified pertussis antigens. Daptacel is approved for active immunization as a five-dose series in infants and children from 6 weeks through 6 years of age.
For protection against meningococcal disease, Sanofi offers MenQuadfi, a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. This vaccine is indicated for active immunization against invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W, and Y, and is approved for use in individuals two years of age and older. MenQuadfi is a ready-to-use liquid formulation that does not require reconstitution before administration.
Sanofi also provides YF-Vax, a vaccine for yellow fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. This live attenuated vaccine is prepared by culturing the 17D-204 strain of yellow fever virus in chicken embryos. YF-Vax is indicated for active immunization in individuals nine months of age and older who are at increased risk for yellow fever, including travelers to or residents of endemic areas.
Sanofi’s Impact on Global Health
Sanofi’s contributions to global health extend beyond individual vaccine development, encompassing broader initiatives and partnerships focused on vaccine access and distribution. The company is dedicated to improving and accelerating sustainable access to quality medicines, including vaccines, for underserved populations worldwide. This involves implementing comprehensive access-to-care programs that include awareness and education initiatives.
Sanofi has been a long-standing partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative since 1988, supplying billions of doses of polio vaccine globally. The company’s Global Health Unit, established as a non-profit entity in 2021, aims to increase healthcare access through medicine distribution and by strengthening local healthcare systems in countries with low per capita GDP. This unit launched the Impact® brand, which includes 30 Sanofi medicines, such as insulin and other essential medications, for non-profit distribution in 40 lower-income countries.
The company’s approach involves breaking geographical barriers through strategic local partnerships and building resilient healthcare systems by training community members. Sanofi also empowers communities with health knowledge and tools, aiming for sustainable impact in a rapidly changing world. This includes supporting non-governmental organizations and health ministries, and co-designing inclusive healthcare access models.
Sanofi’s commitment also involves innovative healthcare partnerships with local start-ups and innovators who offer sustainable healthcare solutions for under-resourced regions. The company has established an Impact fund to support these initiatives, providing financing and technical assistance to inclusive businesses. Through these efforts, Sanofi aims to make a lasting difference in the health of those most in need, striving to improve the lives of millions who currently lack adequate healthcare access.