Latest news with #BharatBiotech
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Business Standard
05-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Piyush Goyal seeks apology from CM Siddaramaiah over remarks on vaccine
Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday demanded that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah apologise to the country's scientists and pharmaceutical sector for his recent remarks linking COVID-19 vaccines to a spate of heart attack deaths in the state and questioned whether he was "running the agenda of foreign forces". Accusing the Chief Minister of "insulting" India's scientists, startups, and its pharmaceutical strength, Goyal said his comments undermine the people who worked tirelessly during the pandemic. According to Goyal, it is "unfortunate" that such remarks are coming from the CM of a country that is known as the 'pharmacy of the world', a country where our startups are expanding and forming an ecosystem, a country where our vaccines were exported on a large scale to other nations. This was possible only because our pharmaceutical companies had the strength and innovation to produce vaccines at a cost of less than Rs 100, he told reporters here. Lauding the pharmaceutical companies, he said they made India proud. "We didn't just roll out one vaccine, but two. The country was able to provide free vaccines to our entire population... He insulted our scientists and pharmaceutical companies," he claimed. "Is he running the agenda of foreign forces that want to harm India's pharmaceutical sector, disturbed by India's financial growth? Whether it is the Congress party, the CM, or all their partners, do they want to strengthen the hands of foreign forces by demeaning India? He should answer and apologise to our scientists and pharmaceutical companies," he further alleged. Earlier, addressing the IIT Madras Alumni Association's Sangam 2025 event here, he added that Siddaramaiah does not take pride in India's success or its startups and scientists. Instead, he is "ashamed of India and its startups achieving such remarkable success." He credited Bharat Biotech for developing India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, and Oxford-AstraZeneca for granting rights to produce Covishield at Pune-based Serum Institute of India. "We were not only able to provide 2.5 billion vaccines free of charge to all our citizens, but also supplied vaccines to over 100 nations, particularly less developed or developing countries that otherwise had no protection against this disease," he said. Goyal pointed out that even today, India is being thanked for the medicines and vaccines it provided to other nations during the pandemic. "They (Congress) want to run down India's success stories, and it pains us when we hear this kind of negativity coming from certain sections of society," he alleged. Neither the Congress nor Siddaramaiah has responded to Goyal's claims so far.
Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
GSK to slash cost of malaria jab by more than half
The manufacturers of the world's first malaria vaccine are set to slash the price by more than half by 2028 to less than £4 per dose. On Wednesday the manufacturers of the shot, known as RTS,S, said a phased reduction in cost would begin immediately, with an ultimate aim to reduce the price to less than $5 (£3.64). The announcement could hardly come at a more critical moment. Gavi, a major vaccination initiative which funds immunisations in the world's poorest countries, is facing a major budget crunch. In Brussels on Wednesday, Gavi's replenishment event raised $9 billion (£6.55bn) to fund immunisation programmes over the next five years. While this sounds like a huge sum, it's significantly less than the $11.9bn the group had been aiming for. Governments around the world are cutting development spending dramatically. The UK, for instance, cut its contribution to Gavi by 40 per cent in real terms, telling The Telegraph it was prioritising defence, while the US has pledged nothing at all. Though America previously gave Gavi roughly $300m a year, the country's new health secretary claimed without evidence that the organisation was ignoring vaccine safety. The announcement from the British pharmaceutical giant GSK and Indian drugmaker Bharat Biotech will therefore be a relief to those trying to balance the books. Closing the gap between supply and need In a statement the companies said the price reduction demonstrated their 'commitment to Gavi', and was 'driven by process improvements, expanded production capacity, cost-effective manufacturing, and minimal profit margins'. By the time the price has fallen to below $5 per dose, a technology transfer agreement means Bharat will have taken over production, though GSK will continue to supply the adjuvant piece of the shot. 'For us, this is more than a cooperation, it's a promise,' said Dr Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech International Limited. 'By joining forces with GSK, and working closely with Gavi, and the WHO [World Health Organization], we are taking a real step toward closing the gap between vaccine supply and the urgent needs of children at risk of malaria.' Each year, malaria still kills 500,000 people – the vast majority of them children aged five and under in sub-Saharan Africa. According to WHO estimates, cases and deaths fell significantly between 2000 and 2015, but progress has since stalled. Some have high hopes that RTS,S, as well as another vaccine called R21 developed by Oxford University, could prove critical in efforts to turn the tide. In clinical trials, RTS,S reduced hospitalisations for severe malaria by 30 per cent. But critics say the shot is too expensive and not as effective as existing tools, such as bed nets and antimalarials. The reduction in price will bring it more in line with the cost of R21, which is priced at around $4 per dose (roughly £3). Yet the cost will still add up, as both jabs require multiple shots. For RTS,S, this means four doses – the first three doses are given monthly, starting around five months of age, while the fourth dose is administered 15-18 months later. Both jabs 'provide reasonable short term efficacy – over about a year – so are a useful addition to other measures,' said Professor Nick White, a professor at the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit who specialises in malaria. 'In the past GSK had limited production capacity – one of the reasons the R21 was developed. So reducing the price will be good and the two comparable vaccines can fight it out in the market place.' A spokesperson for Gavi said the alliance's goal is to 'create sustainable demand backed by predictable financing so that companies – like GSK and Bharat – can continue investing in technology transfer and other efficiencies that bring down costs, thus making critical vaccines more available and affordable. GSK's decision to lower its prices, the spokesperson added, is 'an important step for the global malaria vaccination programme, and our ability to make this lifesaving tool more widely available to those who need it the most'. Gavi plans to help fund RTS,S in 12 African countries by the end of this year. Previously, GSK has said it will supply up to 18 million vaccine doses between 2023 and the end of this year. The company plans to supply 15 million doses annually from 2026-2028, a spokesperson told Reuters.
United News of India
25-06-2025
- Health
- United News of India
World's first kids' malaria vaccine price to be less than USD 5 by 2028
Hyderabad, June 25 (UNI) Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) and GSK plc, a Global Pharma Company, today announced their commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), in the continued roll out of the world's first malaria vaccine. Bharat Biotech will be reducing the price of world first malaria vaccine 'RTS.S, developed by GSK, PATH and partners, by more than half, to less than $5 progressively by 2028. This price reduction is driven by process improvements, expanded production capacity, cost- effective manufacturing, and minimal profit margins, Hyderabad based vaccine maker BBIL said in a release here. The announcement forms part of pledges to Gavi for its next replenishment phase (Gavi 6.0, 2026-2030) by both companies. RTS,S was the first malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2021. Since then, GSK has made significant investments to enhance production capacity and efficiency, and to undertake the planned technology transfer to Bharat Biotech. In parallel, Bharat Biotech has invested over $200 million in new, higher- output manufacturing facilities, product development and technology transfers. These enhancements have enabled a phased reduction in the price of the malaria vaccine, starting immediately and fully realised by 2028, when the transfer of production between the two companies is complete. Through Gavi support, RTS,S expected to be rolled out in 12 endemic countries in Africa through routine immunisation programmes by end of 2025 This has only been possible through the critical work that GSK has undertaken with Bharat Biotech, PATH, together with the WHO, implementing countries, MedAccess and Gavi, to help deliver access to life-saving malaria prevention for children in endemic countries in Africa. BBIL Executive Chairman Dr. Krishna Ella, said: "Through this historic announcement, we aim to change the course of malaria burden for millions of children and families. By joining forces with GSK, and working closely with Gavi, and the WHO, we are taking a real step toward closing the gap between vaccine supply and the urgent needs of children at risk of malaria'. In a recent evaluation of impact by the WHO of the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, where over 2 million children received the RTS,S vaccine between 2019 and 2023, the WHO reported a 13 percent reduction in all-cause mortality and a 22 percent reduction in hospitalisations of severe malaria among children age- eligible for vaccination during this period1. When administered seasonally in regions with high malaria transmission, alongside seasonal malaria chemoprevention, the two malaria vaccines recommended by the WHO, have been shown to prevent around 75 percent of malaria episodes. UNI KNR SSP
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Bharat Biotech, GSK to cut malaria vaccine price by more than half by 2028
Bharat Biotech International Ltd and GSK plc on Wednesday said they will reduce the price of the world's first malaria vaccine for children 'RTS,S' developed by GSK, PATH and partners, by more than half to less than USD 5 progressively by 2028. Announced as part of their commitment to the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), the two companies said the price reduction is driven by process improvements, expanded production capacity, cost-effective manufacturing, and minimal profit margins. Lower vaccine cost through collaboration The announcement forms part of pledges to Gavi for its next replenishment phase -- Gavi 6.0, 2026-2030 -- by both companies, they said in a joint statement. "This pledge to Gavi 6.0 is more than a pricing announcement. It is a commitment to global equity, innovation, and collaboration. Through this historic announcement, we aim to change the course of malaria burden for millions of children and families," Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL) Executive Chairman Krishna Ella said. Further, he said, "By joining forces with GSK, and working closely with Gavi, and the WHO, we are taking a real step toward closing the gap between vaccine supply and the urgent needs of children at risk of malaria." GSK Chief Global Health Officer Thomas Breuer said the company had partnered with Bharat Biotech in 2021 with a common goal of finding a sustainable solution to get ahead of malaria. "Today, we announce GSK's contribution to the long-term price ambition of the world's first malaria vaccine, a key milestone achieved through collaboration with Bharat Biotech and partners from Gavi, PATH and the WHO," he said. Breuer added, "This demonstrates our commitment to changing the trajectory of infectious diseases like malaria, making a difference in the lives of children and families across Africa." The GSK team has worked hand in hand with Bharat Biotech to transfer the vaccine manufacturing technology while simultaneously implementing crucial improvements in manufacturing efficiencies, resulting in the latest pledge to the Gavi replenishment, he noted. Boosting malaria immunisation drive With Gavi's support, 12 endemic countries in Africa will be introduced to RTS,S through routine immunisation programmes by the end of 2025. RTS,S was the first malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021. Since then, GSK has made significant investments to enhance production capacity and efficiency and undertake the planned technology transfer to Bharat Biotech, the statement said. In parallel, Bharat Biotech has invested over USD 200 million in new, higher-output manufacturing facilities, product development and technology transfers. "These enhancements have enabled a phased reduction in the price of the malaria vaccine, starting immediately and fully realised by 2028, when the transfer of production between the two companies is complete," it added. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance CEO Sania Nishtar said, "Our ambition is to protect at least 50 million more children across Africa by the end of 2030, and this collaboration between GSK and Bharat Biotech helps put this goal firmly within reach."
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Bharat Biotech, GSK to slash malaria vaccine price
Synopsis Bharat Biotech and GSK will lower the malaria vaccine price to under $5 by 2028. This is due to better processes and more production. They pledged this to Gavi. Bharat Biotech invested over $200 million to boost production. Twelve African countries will use the vaccine by 2025. This aims to help millions of children and families.
