The French multinational Sanofi announced the acquisition of Protein Sciences, a privately held vaccines biotechnology company based in the United States. According to the company, Sanofi will make an upfront payment of $650 million and pay up to $100 million upon achievement of certain milestones. The Protein Sciences’ Flublok® Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV) has been granted FDA approval in October 2016 and represents the only recombinant protein-based influenza vaccine approved by the FDA. According to David Loew, Sanofi executive vice president and head of Sanofi Pasteur, the acquisition of Protein Sciences will allow the company to broaden its flu portfolio with the addition of a non-egg based vaccine.