GlaxoSmithKline: Government Orders for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has confirmed that it has contracts in place to supply 195 million doses of its pandemic (H1N1) 2009 adjuvanted influenza vaccine. It has a variety of agreements in place with the US government to supply pandemic products worth US$250 million.

Since 22 July, nine government contracts have been signed for a further 96 million doses of the vaccine. This now brings the total number of doses ordered for GSK’s adjuvanted vaccine to US$291 million.

The first supplies of the vaccine will be available to governments from September onwards, with shipments expected in the second half of 2009 and early 2010. The exact pace of delivery will be dependent on capacity and the yield of the influenza strain.

To ensure that the vaccine is available to developing nations, and subject to the yield and existing contractual commitments, GSK has allocated 20 percent of production at its Canadian manufacturing site to developing countries from early September onwards. Included within this capacity is the company’s proposed donation of 50 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ongoing discussions with developing country governments may lead to an increase in the percentage of output supplied to developing countries.