GSK announce meningitis vaccine for Africa

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced the development of a vaccine for use in African meningitis belt countries that the company says will never make a profit or even recoup its R&D costs. The vaccine is Globorixâ„¢, primarily a conjugate meningitis A & C vaccine, which will also protect children against other diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus and hepatitis B. The demand for approval of Globorixâ„¢ was made under article 58 of the EMEA (European Medicines Agency) regulation 726/2004 which allows a company to ask the agency for a scientific opinion on the efficacy, quality and safety of a medicinal product for use exclusively outside the EU in cooperation with the WHO. This procedure is designed to help developing country medicines agencies to approve much needed medicinal products. According to Jean Stéphenne, President of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, the development of Globorixâ„¢ reflects “GSK’s long-standing commitment to the developing world” and meets “a pressing public health threat in Africa”. Image source: whatistheworld.com

Message received by Covalence | Country: Global | Company: GlaxoSmithKline | Source: Rebecca Taylor, Fleishman-Hillard’s EU