French Pharmaceutical Company "Priority Supply of COVID-19 Vaccine to the US"... Corrects to "Equitable Supply" After Backlash

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Sanofi, the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company and a French pharmaceutical firm, faced backlash after stating it would prioritize supplying the United States, which funded the development, if it developed a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. The company retracted its statement, saying it would "provide the vaccine equitably to all regions," after criticism from the French government, including President Emmanuel Macron. However, the incident left a bitter aftertaste as it raised concerns about potential conflicts between countries following vaccine development.

According to Bloomberg on the 14th (local time), Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, said in an interview with the media the day before, "Because the U.S. government invested in taking risks, it has the right to pre-order the largest amount of vaccine," expressing hope that the U.S. would receive the vaccine first as it supported the risky development.

Last month, Sanofi began joint development of a COVID-19 vaccine with its competitor, the British company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has invested $30 million (approximately 36.84 billion KRW) in this project so far. Bloomberg reported that Sanofi has had a long-standing relationship with BARDA and received $226 million in support last December to strengthen its supply capacity for seasonal influenza vaccines.

After the remarks were reported, France was thrown into an uproar. French government ministers unanimously criticized CEO Hudson's comments as "unacceptable." President Macron was reportedly outraged. He emphasized, "COVID-19 vaccines must be a global public good. Market logic should not apply." French Prime Minister ?douard Philippe stated, "Equal access to vaccines is non-negotiable," and Secretary of State Agn?s Pannier-Runacher criticized, "Granting priority vaccine access to certain countries based on financial reasons is unacceptable."

Eventually, the ?lys?e Palace, the French presidential office, announced in an official statement that a meeting between President Macron's aides and Sanofi executives would take place next week. Some foreign media described the meeting as a "summons" to the ?lys?e Palace, implying a government-level protest.

Criticism of Sanofi spread worldwide. On the same day, more than 140 world leaders and experts released a letter through UNAIDS and Oxfam stating that vaccines and treatments for the virus should not be patented.

As the controversy escalated, Sanofi urgently moved to manage the situation. Serge Weinberg, Chairman of Sanofi's Board, appeared on a broadcast and stated, "We will not give special benefits to any particular country," and that the vaccine would be distributed simultaneously to all countries. He emphasized, "We are utilizing multiple manufacturing plants, some in the U.S., but more in France and other parts of Europe," and added that CEO Hudson's remarks were being corrected. CEO Hudson also said his comments were not about choosing between the U.S. and Europe, and that he had campaigned for months in Europe to overcome COVID-19, promising equitable vaccine supply to all countries once developed.

In the U.S., a whistleblower who was once in charge of vaccine development under the Trump administration and was later dismissed revealed that the government tried to support treatments with insufficient proof. Rick Bright, who was transferred last month from the director of BARDA to the National Institutes of Health, testified at a House subcommittee hearing that the government attempted to rush recommendations for hydroxychloroquine use for COVID-19 treatment, bypassing rigorous review processes. This drug, praised by President Trump as a "gift from God," is a malaria treatment with no proven efficacy and potential serious side effects. Bright claimed that after opposing government investment in this drug, his BARDA director email account was blocked, and he was demoted.

In response, President Trump gave a personal attack, saying, "I don't know the person well," and "He's just a disgruntled individual. Honestly, some people say he did a poor job."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.