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Sanofi jumps on the mRNA train with a multi-billion takeover

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi puts 3.2 billion dollars on the table to acquire Translate Bio. With this, it is bringing mRNA technology – which has been in the spotlight since the pandemic – into its home.

Translate Bio is no stranger to Sanofi. On the contrary. The two already signed a cooperation agreement in 2018 and expanded it further last year. Two joint research programs are already quite advanced. Patient trials for vaccines against Covid-19 and influenza are currently underway.

With the takeover, Sanofi now fully owns the technology. “Access to a new technology platform will allow us to further explore the potential of mRNA,” said Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi.



We see this technology platform not only for the development of vaccines, but also for the development of drugs in the fields of immunology, oncology and rare diseases.

With Translate Bio, Sanofi is setting foot in the world of mRNA, which has been in the spotlight worldwide since the outbreak of the corona pandemic. The American company Moderna and the tandem Pfizer-BioNtech quickly succeeded in developing a highly effective mRNA vaccine, trumping the classic vaccine superpowers like Sanofi and GSK.

Next big thing

Translate Bio is looking for treatments for cystic fibrosis and other rare lung diseases.

Sanofi is offering $38 a share, implying a 30 percent premium to Monday’s closing price. The offer is 56 percent higher than the average price over the past two months.

The CEO of Translate Bio and Baupost, the largest shareholder, have indicated that they will sell their shares. In this way, Sanofi already owns at least 30 percent of the shares. Sanofi expects to close the transaction in the third quarter.

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