China reports flu outbreaks as COVID-19 cases decline, suggesting that population immunity may have been affected by the country's strict "COVID Zero" policies. The cost and availability of flu vaccines in the country are other policy factors playing into the situation. 

Panel expects to review five respiratory syncytial virus vaccines and vote on one or two of them in June 2023 and others four months later. Sanofi presents results of three clinical trials of its monoclonal antibody nirsevimab, which is on track to be the second RSV prophylaxis for infants.

David Loew has assembled a strong business development team which secured seven licensing pacts in 2021 and the Ipsen CEO tells Scrip that this year should see more of the same.

With the approval of Nuvaxovid, the UK and the EU now each have five COVID-19 vaccines at their disposal. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency has given an estimated timeline for the approval of candidate vaccines from Valneva and Sanofi Pasteur, and is looking at which therapeutics could be effective against the Omicron variant. Russia says its Sputnik V vaccine has now been granted full regulatory approval there.