06 Jun Drugs companies to lower price of vaccines in developing countries
Posted at 15:41h
in News
Ben Quinn, The Guardian
A promise to reduce the prices of vaccines in developing countries has been announced by a number of big drug companies, ahead of a conference in London at which political leaders will consider how to raise funds for immunisation.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, said yesterday that Serum Institute of India and Panacea Biotec had agreed to reduce the prices of their pentavalent vaccine, which protects against five fatal diseases. And GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to sell a vaccine against diarrhoeal disease in the poorest countries for £1.50 a dose, a twentieth of its £30 price in developed countries.