PMCPA PRESS RELEASE 21 July 2026 - Cases 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. In addition, Sanofi was publicly reprimanded (in CASE/0689/08/25).
21 July 2026
For a Sunday Express article, a Health Service Journal article and two related social media posts by its employees, which promoted Sanofi’s medicine, Beyfortus (nirsevimab) to the public, and included misleading claims and comparisons with Pfizer’s vaccine (thereby disparaging it), 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 - Providing misleading information
Clause 6.2 - Making an unsubstantiated claim
Clause 6.6 - Disparaging another company’s medicine
Clause 8.1 - Failing to certify promotional material
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
In addition, the Code of Practice Appeal Board imposed a public reprimand and required Sanofi to provide the Appeal Board with a copy of its third-party audit report, and to appear at the Appeal Board meeting in October 2026 to provide details of the actions it has taken, and is taking, as a result of the third-party audit. The Appeal Board reserved the decision regarding the application of additional sanctions until consideration of this information.
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For a press release which promoted Sanofi’s medicine (Beyfortus (nirsevimab)) to the public, included a claim that was not capable of substantiation, and included a misleading comparison with another pharmaceutical company’s vaccine (thereby disparaging it), 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 comparison
Clause 6.2 - Making a claim that was incapable of substantiation
Clause 6.6 - Disparaging another company’s medicine
Clause 26.1 - Advertising a prescription only medicine to the public
Clause 26.2 - Providing inaccurate and unbalanced information to the public
The case report, the interim case report and public reprimand are available at www.pmcpa.org.uk.
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Notes to Editors:
Notes to Editors:
The advertisement will appear in the BMJ and the Nursing Standard in December 2026.
Media Contacts:
For more information contact info@pmcpa.org.uk
The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) is the self-regulatory body for the pharmaceutical industry in the UK and 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.