Vaccine-maker Biological E Ltd has slashed price of its pentavalent vaccine being supplied to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) Alliance by 30 per cent.
According to a supply agreement the Hyderabad-based company entered into with the global agency, a supplier of vaccine to children in many countries, the vaccine will be now be supplied at $1.19 per dose against $2.17 charged last year.
The company will supply about 200 million dosages to the Alliance.
“We are proud that our work to provide affordable prices for a variety of countries means life-saving vaccines can reach the most underprivileged children in the world,’’ Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E, said in a release.
A decade ago GAVI had just one European supplier and a price of $3.56.
Today, it had five suppliers, including two in India, and a price that is down to its lowest level yet.
Pentavalent vaccine combine the antigens for five infectious diseases in a single shot, namely diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib).