PMCPA PRESS RELEASE 2 February 2026 - Case ruled in breach of Clause 2

​Sanofi has breached the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and brought discredit upon, and reduced confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry.

02 February 2026

Sanofi Limited – Case/0518/03/25

For an article published in a UK Sunday newspaper (that was based on an interview with a Sanofi global senior leader), which promoted Sanofi’s medicine, Beyfortus (nirsevimab), to the public, as well as making misleading claims about Beyfortus and disparaging Pfizer’s vaccine, Sanofi was ruled in breach of the following clauses of the 2024 Code:

Clause 2 - Bringing discredit upon, and reducing confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry
Clause 5.1 - Failing to maintain high standards
Clause 6.1 - Making a misleading claim
Clause 6.2 - Making an unsubstantiated claim
Clause 6.6 - Disparaging another company’s medicine
Clause 26.1 - Advertising a prescription only medicine to the public
Clause 26.2 - Providing unbalanced information and encouraging members of the public to 
ask for a specific prescription only medicine


The case report is available at www.pmcpa.org.uk.

Ends

Notes to Editors:
The advertisement will appear in the BMJ and the Nursing Standard in June 2026. 

Notes to Editors:

Media Contacts:
For more information contact info@pmcpa.org.uk.

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) was established by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) to operate the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry independently of the ABPI. The PMCPA is a division of the ABPI. The Code covers the promotion of medicines for prescribing to health professionals and the provision of information to the public about prescription only medicines.

If you have any concerns about the activities of pharmaceutical companies in this regard, please contact the PMCPA at 2nd Floor, Goldings House, Hay’s Galleria, 2 Hay’s Lane, London, SE1 2HB, email: complaints@pmcpa.org.uk, or visit www.pmcpa.org.uk/complaints-procedure/make-a-complaint.

The Code and other information, including details about ongoing cases, can be found on the PMCPA website: www.pmcpa.org.uk.The PMCPA is a division of the ABPI which is a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales no 09826787. Registered office 2nd Floor Goldings House, Hay’s Galleria, 2 Hay’s Lane, London, SE1 2HB.