French pharmaceutical company Sanofi said that European Commission (EC) officials carried out unannounced inspections at its premises in France and Germany as part of an investigation into its conduct in the seasonal influenza vaccine market.1
It is not clear whether the investigation has any impact beyond Europe, but Sanofi produces influenza vaccines for the U.S. market at its large campus in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, with some antigen production at its Pearl River, New York facility.2 For the 2025–2026 season, Sanofi manufactures three influenza vaccines in the United States, including Flublok, Fluzone, and Fluzone High-Dose licensed for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).3
The EC said it suspects that Sanofi may have used unfair tactics to limit competition in the influenza vaccine market. Anti-competitive disparagement refers to actions that give one company an unfair advantage and make it harder for others to compete on equal terms. To investigate, officials carried out unannounced inspections at Sanofi sites in France and Germany. The EC did not immediately name the company involved, but Sanofi later confirmed it was the subject of the visits.4
Sanofi said investigators visited its offices on Sept. 29, 2025 as part of the probe into its business practices related to the influenza vaccine market. The company said it believes it has followed the rules, will fully cooperate with authorities, and will not comment further during the inquiry.5 EC officials in Brussels, Belgium, emphasized that the inspections are only the first step in an investigation. They said it will give the company the chance to defend themselves, and the length of such inquiries can vary depending on the complexity of the case and the level of cooperation from those involved.6
European Commission Has Taken Similar Action Before
The EC has stepped up scrutiny of drug makers over anti-competitive conduct. Last year it found that Teva Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, carried out a “systematic disparagement campaign” against a generic version of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone and delayed cheaper rivals by building a dense web of patents.7 In 2024, the EC fined Teva €462.6 million (US$503 million), the largest antitrust penalty imposed on a pharmaceutical company in recent years.8
In another case, the EC raised competition concerns against CSL Vifor, headquartered in Glattbrugg, Switzerland, over claims it disparaged Pharmacosmos’s competing intravenous iron treatment, Monofer, in favor of its own drug Ferinject. The case was resolved after Vifor launched a major communications campaign to clarify the situation and agreed to 10 years of monitoring.9
Sanofi Faced Similar Allegations in the United States
In 2017, Sanofi agreed to pay $61.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in the United States that accused it of using sales tactics to block a rival meningitis vaccine. The lawsuit, filed in 2011, claimed Sanofi tied discounts for its meningococcal vaccine Menactra to purchases of its other pediatric vaccines. Hospitals and doctors who bought the bundle received favorable prices, while those who chose the competing vaccine, Novartis’s Menveo, risked paying more overall.10
The strategy made it difficult for Novartis to gain market share, even though Menveo had been approved as an alternative. By linking discounts across products, Sanofi allegedly used its strong position in pediatric vaccines to pressure buyers into choosing Menactra, limiting fair competition in the market. Sanofi denied any wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to avoid the cost and uncertainty of a long trial. The agreement did not require the company to admit liability.11
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Click here to view References:1 Bonini E. EU targets Sanofi, world leader in vaccines: surprise inspections for alleged breach of rules. EU News Sept. 20, 2025.
2 Ruggles M. Sanofi breaks ground on Pennsylvania flu vaccine facility. Manufacturing Dive Apr. 13, 2023.
3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Vaccines Licensed for Use in the United States.
4 European Commission. Commission carries out unannounced antitrust inspections in the vaccines sector. Sept. 29, 205.
5 Bonini E. EU targets Sanofi, world leader in vaccines: surprise inspections for alleged breach of rules. EU News Sept. 20, 2025.
6 European Commission. Commission carries out unannounced antitrust inspections in the vaccines sector. Sept. 29, 2025.
7 Taylor P. Sanofi faces EU antitrust probe into vaccine business. Pharma Phorum Oct. 1, 2025.
8 Taylor P. Teva fined €462.6m for antitrust delay to MS drug rivals. Pharma Phorum Oct. 31, 2024.
9 Taylor P. Sanofi faces EU antitrust probe into vaccine business. Pharma Phorum Oct. 1, 2025.
10 Sagonowsky E. Sanofi’s meningococcal vax rivalry with Novartis ends in $61.5M class-action settlement. Fierce Pharma Jan. 30, 2017.
11 Ibid.
One Response
Anti-competitive disparagement refers to actions that give one company an unfair advantage and make it harder for others to compete on equal terms.
You mean, like, discriminating against every person on the planet whom refuses vaccines and seeks herbal and holistic medicinal solutions instead?
Vaccine requirements are anti trust. It should be strictly confidential if anyone has ever taken a vaccine. Nobody else should know.
Every other day pop up raids will not change anything. The solution lies in a return to strict doctor patient confidentiality. Which in the modern age means getting big tech and big government out of the health care space and patient records management, informational sharing, spaces.