Paris (AFP)

Sanofi and the government are studying the possibility for the French pharmaceutical group to use its production chains to produce anti-Covid vaccines from BioNTech and Janssen laboratories, Minister Delegate for Industry Agnès Pannier-Runacher said on Friday.

Sanofi is working on the development of two anti-Covid vaccines but will not be able to offer one before the end of 2021.

Could it therefore, like French pharmaceutical subcontractors, make its production chains available by then to manufacture anti-Covid vaccines from other pharmaceutical groups?

Mme Pannier-Runacher indicated that she had asked him: "We are looking with them, and they are looking with BioNTech on one side and Janssen on the other side if possible," laboratories "with which he there is the best chance of getting there ".

Without citing any laboratory name, Sanofi, interviewed by AFP, indicated that it "assesses in particular the technical feasibility of temporarily carrying out certain manufacturing steps to support other manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines", emphasizing that it was "at this stage" a "still very preliminary reflection".

According to Ms. Pannier-Runacher, the question is first of a "technical" nature: "Do they have tanks and teams, manufacturing capacities which are free" and are not occupied, for example, in producing the influenza vaccine?

It is also a question of knowing "in how long can they develop this manufacture", whereas "technology transfers" should be made "in three to five months for the filling of the doses" plus "a few more months for the active principle part ", against" 12 to 18 months in normal times ".

Faced with the criticisms leveled against Sanofi, accused of being behind on its competitors, the minister wanted to "break an urban legend": "Sanofi was to deliver in July (...), they are three months late, as other vaccines today ", she argued, stressing that even with this delay, producing a vaccine within these times is already" an extraordinary performance ".

In France, the French pharmaceutical subcontractor Delpharm announced in November that it would produce part of the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech, in its Normandy factory.

The factory of its counterpart Recipharm must for its part produce the Moderna vaccine from the end of February / beginning of March, had specified Ms. Pannier-Runacher on January 8.

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal said Friday on franceinfo that these vaccines "produced on French territory" will enter "into the quota" of vaccines ordered by Europe and distributed to France according to its population.

They will therefore not be added to his quota.

© 2021 AFP