Sanofi’s spokesperson denied to Fierce that the political climate had played a role in its own flu vaccine decision.\n Two and a half years after Sanofi unveiled to investors a revamped strategy to create an mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, Fierce Biotech has learned that the French pharma has put this pipeline on ice.The company disclosed in its full-year 2025 earnings documents (PDF) this morning that it was scrapping a phase 1-stage mRNA flu vaccine. But, rather than an isolated portfolio decision, the Paris-based drugmaker explained to Fierce that this signals a wider strategic shift.“Sanofi has deprioritized its mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine program and does not anticipate launching an mRNA-based seasonal flu product in the near term,” a spokesperson told Fierce.The company was keen to stress that it “remains fully committed to mRNA technology as a key part of our multi-platform vaccine development strategy.” In fact, Sanofi continues to work on a phase 1/2 study of its mRNA vaccine for an H5 flu pandemic, with the pharma describing preliminary data as “very encouraging.”Still, it marks a far cry from June 2023, when Sanofi announced it was working on a new generation of mRNA flu vaccines, including bringing five different lipids into clinical trials. That step change was itself caused by the realization that its hemagglutinin-based mRNA vaccine candidate performed well against influenza strain A but struggled against strain B—a common problem for first-generation mRNA flu vaccines.At the time, Thomas Triomphe, Sanofi’s head of vaccines, told investors: “We believe we have the solution, but we are not going to share that.” By that point, Sanofi already had a big stake in the modality, courtesy of its $3.2 billion acquisition of mRNA-focused Translate Bio in 2021, as well as funneling billions more into a highly publicized mRNA strategy.While a seasonal mRNA flu vaccine from Sanofi remains out of reach for now, the company was keen to stress to Fierce this morning that its broader influenza strategy remains on track.“We are focusing on our highly successful high-dose vaccine and our recombinant protein vaccine to deliver protection beyond flu, providing protection not only against flu infection but also flu’s severe complications,” a spokesperson said.They pointed to Fluzone High-Dose and Flublok, approved flu vaccines that are both continuing to demonstrate strong protection rates against severe outcomes when compared to rival shots on the market. The company\'s influenza and COVID-19 vaccine franchise generated 2.3 billion euros ($2.75 billion) last year, Sanofi reported Thursday, a 6% decline from 2024 amid a well-documented dip in U.S. immunization rates. While Moderna executives told Fierce last year that the U.S. government’s shifting stance to both mRNA and vaccines had been a factor in the company’s reemphasis on its cancer portfolio, Sanofi’s spokesperson denied to Fierce that the political climate had played a role in its own flu vaccine decision.Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson didn’t reference mRNA flu vaccines directly on a call with journalists this morning, but he did stress in general terms that whether it\'s vaccines or any other modality, “we don\'t make clinical decisions based on politics or sentiment in the now.”However, the CEO acknowledged the broader impact of the changing stance of the U.S. government to vaccines.“You\'ve seen some of the complexity around the change in leadership in healthcare in the United States,” Hudson said. “We\'re not complaining, we just recognize that the vaccine coverage rates will have dipped a little because of the debates that are happening in the public.”But, despite this dip in usage rates, Sanofi—which markets Fluzone and respiratory syncytial virus shot Beyfortus—gained market share last year, said Hudson.The CEO also pointed out that the company continued to add to its vaccine business, notably with the $2.2 billion acquisition of Dynavax Technologies last month.