GSK backs governments over vaccine funding

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has expressed its support of the World Bank, in addition to the UK, Canadian, Italian and Norwegian governments, for their commitment to establish an advance market commitment for the purchase and distribution of pneumococcal vaccines for impoverished children worldwide.

At the end of last week, these governments formally announced the initiation of a $1.5 billion (0.77 billion pounds) pilot advance market commitment to encourage the development of such vaccines.

GSK notes that its own pneumococcal vaccine candidate targets important and prevailing stains of the disease worldwide in addition to non-typable Haemophilus influenzae, a cause of ear infections.

Jean Stephenne, president of GSK Biologicals, said: “This innovative financing mechanism is a huge step forward and has the potential to save millions of lives.

“It sets the stage for a win-win situation – for donor countries, for vaccine manufacturers and, most of all, for the world’s children.”

He added that this decision highlighted great foresight on behalf of the World Bank and governments involved, with GSK looking forward to working with these organisations in deciding the details of this scheme.

Last month, GSK announced that its H5N1 split antigen pre-pandemic influenza vaccine had been accepted by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in Europe.