Sanofi is stopping development of its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, deciding it doesn't make sense to continue development in a crowded market, The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 28.
The drugmaker was developing an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine using the same technology as Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines. It hadn't reached phase 3 trials.
Sanofi will pivot its mRNA research toward other infectious diseases, and the drugmaker has already begun early-stage trials on an mRNA flu shot, the Journal reported.
Sanofi is also creating a COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. Thomas Triomphe, the head of Sanofi’s vaccine business, told the Journal that the company will continue developing that vaccine because it's at a more advanced stage and could be useful as a booster shot. Results from its late-stage trial are expected this year.
The drugmaker is also trying to develop mRNA vaccines that can be stored at refrigerator temperatures rather than ultracold conditions, according to the Journal.
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