15 hours ago
- 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
