Sanofi said on Wednesday it will buy U.S. biotech Dynavax Technologies for around $2.2 billion (1.9 billion euros) in an agreed deal that will add an adult hepatitis B vaccine and a promising experimental shingles shot to its portfolio. The acquisition will help the French drugmaker diversify its vaccine business at a time when U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is remaking policy for childhood immunisation, industry analysts say.
The Trump administration has dropped a long-standing universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination in infants, drawing an outcry from the medical community, and is considering other changes for 2026. Shares in Dynavax surged nearly 39% to $15.45 in U.S. trading hours on news of the deal. Sanofi shares eased 0.7%.
