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Sanofi Donates 100 Million Swine Flu Vaccines
By: Allie Montgomery
Published: Saturday, 20 June 2009
The vaccine producer Sanofi Aventis stated this week that they will donate 100 million doses of the vaccine against the new H1N1 swine flu to the World Health Organization (WHO) for distribution. The Chief Executive officer for Sanofi, Christopher Viehbacher, stated that the organization can then send the vaccines to the countries that need them most if the decision is made to immunize people against this new strain of flu.
?Exceptional times require exceptional responses.? Vienhacher said. ?We need to act responsibly and we all have to play our part. That is the reason why we intend to donate 100 million doses of influenza vaccine to the World Health Organization to help developing countries face the influenza pandemic.?
The World Health Organization has not yet advised nations to proceed with vaccination against H1N1. The flu, which has spread to all regions around the world, is at a stage six pandemic, although a moderate one to date. As of June 15th, WHO has confirmed approximately 36,000 cases of the swine flu globally with 163 deaths, although flu experts say there are almost certainly hundreds of thousands of cases that have occurred.
The companies that make influenza vaccines have finished the production of vaccines for the upcoming season in the northern hemisphere and have started to work on the swine flu vaccine in case it is needed. This vaccine will be given separately from the seasonal flu vaccine?a cocktail of the three most common strains of the flu, which also includes another type of H1N1.
It is not yet clear how easy it will be to produce the vaccine against H1N1 as it has never affected the population before. This means that two doses might be needed to get a full immune response to protect against the illness. WHO has estimated that the vaccine makers could produce up to 4.9 billion pandemic flu shots annually in a best-case scenario, which will still leave some of the world?s 6.5 billion population unprotected, particularly if more than one does is going to be needed.
Sanofi said that it would reserve approximately 10 percent of its output of the vaccines for WHO. The company also said, ?In the event that Sanofi Pasteur?s manufacturing facilities become fully committed to the production of pandemic vaccine, the company will also supply this vaccine under a tiered-pricing policy for developing countries.?
Sanofi stated that at full capacity its new factory in Pennsylvania can produce 100 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine annually and its existing facility can make 50 million doses a year. Sanofi?s French plant can make up to 120 million doses annually.
The company said that it makes 40 percent of all influenza vaccines that are distributed worldwide. Other companies that produce the flu vaccine include Baxter International, Solvay, Novartis AG and GlaxoSmithKline.
By: Allie Montgomery
Published: Saturday, 20 June 2009
The vaccine producer Sanofi Aventis stated this week that they will donate 100 million doses of the vaccine against the new H1N1 swine flu to the World Health Organization (WHO) for distribution. The Chief Executive officer for Sanofi, Christopher Viehbacher, stated that the organization can then send the vaccines to the countries that need them most if the decision is made to immunize people against this new strain of flu.
?Exceptional times require exceptional responses.? Vienhacher said. ?We need to act responsibly and we all have to play our part. That is the reason why we intend to donate 100 million doses of influenza vaccine to the World Health Organization to help developing countries face the influenza pandemic.?
The World Health Organization has not yet advised nations to proceed with vaccination against H1N1. The flu, which has spread to all regions around the world, is at a stage six pandemic, although a moderate one to date. As of June 15th, WHO has confirmed approximately 36,000 cases of the swine flu globally with 163 deaths, although flu experts say there are almost certainly hundreds of thousands of cases that have occurred.
The companies that make influenza vaccines have finished the production of vaccines for the upcoming season in the northern hemisphere and have started to work on the swine flu vaccine in case it is needed. This vaccine will be given separately from the seasonal flu vaccine?a cocktail of the three most common strains of the flu, which also includes another type of H1N1.
It is not yet clear how easy it will be to produce the vaccine against H1N1 as it has never affected the population before. This means that two doses might be needed to get a full immune response to protect against the illness. WHO has estimated that the vaccine makers could produce up to 4.9 billion pandemic flu shots annually in a best-case scenario, which will still leave some of the world?s 6.5 billion population unprotected, particularly if more than one does is going to be needed.
Sanofi said that it would reserve approximately 10 percent of its output of the vaccines for WHO. The company also said, ?In the event that Sanofi Pasteur?s manufacturing facilities become fully committed to the production of pandemic vaccine, the company will also supply this vaccine under a tiered-pricing policy for developing countries.?
Sanofi stated that at full capacity its new factory in Pennsylvania can produce 100 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine annually and its existing facility can make 50 million doses a year. Sanofi?s French plant can make up to 120 million doses annually.
The company said that it makes 40 percent of all influenza vaccines that are distributed worldwide. Other companies that produce the flu vaccine include Baxter International, Solvay, Novartis AG and GlaxoSmithKline.