Sanofi gets a flu vaccines booster with $650M-plus Protein Sciences buy

Fierce Pharma ------ Twice over the last year, Sanofi has come up short in high-stakes attempts at top M&A prospects. Now, the drugmaker has finally bagged an acquisition, though not on the scale of its runs for Medivation or Actelion. Sanofi said on Tuesday that it's picking up Connecticut-based flu vaccine maker Protein Sciences in a deal worth $650 million up front and another $100 million in potential follow-up payments. The maker of the Flublok Quadrivalent influenza vaccine will add to Sanofi’s portfolio in a market it currently leads. Flublok is the only FDA-approved recombinant protein-based flu vaccine, according to Sanofi. The vaccine is made from insect cells in an egg-free process, but the biotech has been hoping to get away from the “absolute fable” that the vaccine is only for people with egg allergies, CEO Manon Cox previously told FiercePharma. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.