GSK signs agreement with WHO :

Fifty million doses of pandemic H1N1 vaccine for developing countries

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have announced that they have signed an agreement for GSK to donate 50 million doses of its adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine to the WHO for distribution to developing countries. GSK is working with the WHO and health authorities to prepare for initial shipments of the vaccine by the end of November.

"GSK is committed to support Governments and health authorities around the world in their efforts to protect their populations against this pandemic. Our commitment recognises the needs of developing countries, and this donation of 50 million doses will enable vaccination to begin soon in some of the world's poorest countries," said Andrew Witty, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline.

In addition to the donation made to the WHO, to ensure that developing countries have access to pandemic vaccines, GSK is also supplying its vaccine to developing countries under a tiered pricing policy, based on World Bank Classification and GAVI eligibility. GAVI-eligible countries, which include the world's poorest, would receive highly preferential prices, based on volume orders. GSK has allocated 20 percent of overall production of its Canadian manufacturing site to developing countries. The donation to the WHO is part of this allocation.

"We welcome this very generous donation by GlaxoSmithKline, which will go to protect the health of the world's poorest people. This is a real gesture of global solidarity towards those who would not be otherwise able to have access to the vaccine," said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO. "WHO will now work to see that these vaccines are distributed to those who need them."

In addition to this agreement on vaccines, GSK continues to have discussions with the WHO about a donation of its antiviral medicine, Relenza. A tiered-pricing policy based on World Bank classification of countries is also in effect for Relenza, and the company is making Relenza Rotacaps and Diskhaler available at not-for-profit prices to the world's 50 least developed countries.

GSK is committed to facilitating equitable access to all these interventions to all countries. The company strongly endorses the principles set out by the Gates Foundation to help guide global allocation of pandemic vaccines and reiterates that the global community should take all steps necessary to protect all populations, including those without resources to protect themselves.