Sanofi-Aventis to donate 60 million bird flu vaccines to WHO
16 Jun 2008
Sanofi-Aventis will donate 60 million doses of its bird flu vaccine to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the company has announced.
The doses of the H5N1 vaccine will be given over three years to establish a global stockpile for use in poorer countries in the event of a pandemic.
An outbreak is most likely to hit populations with limited access to vaccines, the company claims, as the virus is currently circulating in poorer regions of the world.
Wayne Pisano, president and chief executive officer of the company's vaccines division Sanofi Pasteur, commented: "In addition to supporting the efforts of governments, it is essential that industry collaborates with international organizations such as WHO, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other global health players."
Meanwhile, research has been unveiled which apparently shows the contrasting efforts of pharmaceutical companies in seeking to improve access to treatment in poorer regions of the world.
The Access to Medicine Foundation has ranked GlaxoSmithKline at the top of its list of twenty drug companies assessed on their ability to provide access to affordable medicines and vaccines.
