GlaxoSmithKline expands vaccine agreement with GAVI Alliance

GlaxoSmithKline has announced plans to expand its partnership with the not-for-profit organisation GAVI Alliance to provide pneumococcal disease therapies to the world's poorest nations.

The company has committed to providing an additional 180 million doses of the vaccine Synflorix to GAVI over the next 12 years in order to support vaccination programmes in 72 developing countries.

This comes as part of the Advance Market Commitment scheme and will ensure that up to 160 million children in underprivileged regions will receive protection from pneumococcal disease by 2023.

It also builds on the longstanding relationship between GlaxoSmithKline and GAVI, which also saw the company agree to provide it rotavirus vaccine Rotarix at a greatly reduced price earlier this year.

Jean Stephenne, chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, said: "Vaccines are one the most effective ways to improve public health and the economical development of these countries. Increasing vaccination means more children will be able to live healthy lives."

This coincides with the announcement of a similar agreement with GAVI by Pfizer to increase its contributions of the pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar 13.