Vaccine Alliance Cuts Deal with Drug Firms for Cheaper Rotavirus Shots
April 11, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations has struck a deal with pharmaceutical firms GlaxoSmithKline and Merck for deeply discounted rotavirus shots to combat diarrhea in the developing world, Reuters writes.
The agreement will allow poorer countries to secure Glaxo’s Rotarix and Merck’s Rotateq at about $5 for a two-dose course, about a third of the previous lowest price offered to the alliance. The medications treat the virus that is the main cause of diarrhea, the second-biggest killer of children under age 5 around the world.
The Geneva-based alliance, known as GAVI, finances vaccine campaigns for countries that cannot afford to pay Western market prices for medications. It is funded by sources that include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations agencies, and donor governments.
