Funding from Canada, Italy, Norway and the UK may save millions of poor children and pave the way for rapid introduction of future vaccines, including AIDS, malaria and TB.
GlaxoSmithKline commended the governments of Canada, Italy, Norway, and the United Kingdom, as well as the World Bank, for agreeing to establish a pilot Advance Market Commitment to purchase and distribute new pneumococcal vaccines for the world?s poorest children.
?This innovative financing mechanism is a huge step forward and has the potential to save millions of lives,? said Jean St?phenne, President of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, the Global Vaccine Division of GlaxoSmithKline. ?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.
?This shows great vision on the part of the governments of Canada, Italy, Norway, and the United Kingdom, as well as the World Bank. We look forward to working with the World Bank and donor governments on the details of the plan.?
GSK?s pneumococcal vaccine candidate, which is in late-stage development, targets the most important prevailing pneumococcal strains worldwide. It includes three serotypes that are not contained in any currently available pneumococcal vaccine, and are of special importance in the developing world. And, these particular serotypes maybe associated with a higher risk of hospitalization, severe pneumonias, and meningitis outbreaks in Africa. GSK?s vaccine candidate also targets a second pathogen, non-typable Haemophilus influenzae, known to be a major cause of ear infections worldwide.