FRANCE – Sanofi has received a formal reprimand from the UK’s Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) after admitting it gave free tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games to 21 UK patients and their caregivers.
The pharmaceutical company voluntarily disclosed the breach, revealing that one of its global affiliates in the vaccines division distributed the tickets through an unnamed patient organization.
The situation came to light when the affiliate sought guidance on how to report the ticket transfers under UK regulations.
Sanofi acknowledged violating Clause 3.5 of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Code, which prohibits giving personal gifts to individuals connected to patient organizations.
The company also admitted to breaching Clause 5.1, which requires members to uphold high professional standards at all times.
While Sanofi argued that its swift voluntary disclosure and internal investigation showed good faith, the PMCPA found that the action still violated Clause 2, which concerns bringing discredit to the pharmaceutical industry.
The panel noted that, although there was no evidence that the ticket recipients influenced prescribing decisions or that the gift was linked to Sanofi’s products, the optics of such a gesture could still damage public trust in the pharmaceutical sector.
The total value of the tickets was reported as €2,190, and no additional gifts, such as travel, accommodation, or hospitality, were provided.
Sanofi also clarified that the patient organization did not gain financially or otherwise from the arrangement.
To prevent similar issues in the future, Sanofi is now providing extra training to its global communications and corporate affairs teams.
The company has also referred the matter to its human resources department for potential disciplinary measures.
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