Sanofi to donate millions of flu vaccines for developing world
pharmafile | June 18, 2009 | News story | Research and Development | Sanofi-Aventis, h1n1, vaccines
Sanofi-Aventis is to set aside 100 million flu vaccine doses for the developing world in order to fight the emerging swine flu pandemic.
Developed countries are now registering the first deaths due to swine flu, but poorer countries are likely to be far worse hit as the virus spreads.
The number of deaths attributed to swine flu across the world is still measured in hundreds, with Mexico, where the virus originated, registering 108 deaths from more than 6,300 confirmed cases.
Sanofi's chief executive Chris Viehbacher says the company is responding to a call from the World Health Organisation for unified action to limit the impact of the pandemic, which it now believes is 'unstoppable'.
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the Sanofi will reserve 10% of its output for the WHO as a donation for developing countries. The company has pledged that further supplies to the developing world will be sold at lower prices, so long as there is sufficient capacity to meet global demand.
Chris Viehbacher said: "I want to back [Margaret Chan] Director-General of WHO's call for common action to fight the influenza pandemic. This is our collective responsibility, as companies, as an industry, as national health authorities, as NGOs, as Foundations, to pool our collective strengths as well as our dedication and our motivation to find solutions that are affordable for every patient throughout the world."
Like its competitors, Sanofi is now expanding its presence in the developing world, as these countries are expected to fuel pharma business growth in the next decade.
"Becoming a global healthcare leader, and not just a pharmaceutical company focused on the US and Europe is the heart of Sanofi-Aventis strategy," said Viehbacher.
"The future of our industry is linked to the healthcare solutions that will be found for emerging countries. In addition to supporting the efforts of governments, we are working with international organisations such as WHO, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other global health players. By pooling our collective strengths as well as our dedication and our motivation, we can save millions of lives," he said.
The announcement follows GSK's similar pledge to donate 50 million doses of its own A (H1N1) adjuvanted influenza vaccine once production begins.
But the chief executive of Novartis, the world's other large-scale producer of flu vaccines has refused to make donations of vaccines. Daniel Vasella recently told the Financial Times that the high level of demand, twinned with need to recoup costs meant he had ruled out a donation.
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