Forget the competition. Sanofi still plans to usher its COVID-19 shot aross the finish line

One of the top vaccine players opted to call it quits on its COVID-19 research after delays and setbacks. There are plenty of options already on the market or close to it. But not Sanofi. The French drugmaker and its partner GlaxoSmithKline, two of the world's top vaccine makers, expect phase 2 data on their recombinant protein-based shot in just a few weeks. If the data are positive, they plan to launch a phase 3 study immediately, Sanofi vaccine chief Thomas Triomphe said on a Wednesday conference call. And if all goes well, a Sanofi/GSK shot could be ready to roll out late this year or early next, execs said. As long as the pandemic is “not solved,” Sanofi will be “fully in” on its COVID-19 vaccine research, Triomphe said Wednesday. The drugmaker figures booster shots will be required in 2022, and Sanofi “will be there” to help with its vaccine, he added.