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- Finding a vaccine for the coronavirus is also political.
- This is what the head of the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, which receives research money from the United States, is currently experiencing.
- For this, the United States would receive the material first, Paul Hudson said in an interview that sparked outrage in France.
Secretary of State Agnès Pannier-Runacher is outraged. For his part, President Emmanuel Macron said that a vaccine is a public good throughout the world. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe quotes the president of the Sanofi pharmaceutical company for himself. He clearly tells her that no one should have privileged access to the vaccine.
Such outrage is also rare in France. But the Corona vaccine is about an existential issue, and with Sanofi it is one of the pearls of the French industry. The fact that Paul Hudson has been the first non-French CEO since last year may also play a minor role. At least the Brit seems unfamiliar with French sensibility.
Hundreds of millions of dollars
This differs from the President of Sanofi, who placated after the meeting with the Prime Minister: Of course, the vaccine would also be delivered to France and other European countries as soon as it was produced in French plants. A concession in terms of tone rather than substance.
Sanofi is investigating the vaccine together with its British competitor GlaxoSmithKline in its European laboratories. This research is supported by a multi-billion dollar United States government fund, and Sanofi will then produce this vaccine in the United States if its development goes that far.
The EU is also planning a fund
The risk of falling into such projects is high. From this perspective, the first access for the USA. USA It would be a risk premium. Sanofi also plans to produce the vaccine later in Europe. But the group would still prefer European grants for research and development.
At least Sanofi CEO Hudson suggested, and was heard. The EU appears to be planning its own fund of more than two billion euros to promote pharmaceutical research and industry. If this research is successful, Macron will one day remember that he declared vaccines a public good.
