First alternative pneumonia vaccine breaks Pfizer and GSK's decades-long stranglehold, says MSF

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just quality assured a third pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), Pneumosil, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, that protects children against certain types of pneumonia and will be much more affordable than existing vaccines.

This critical step will enable countries and treatment providers to procure more affordable versions of the vaccine, which has long been out of reach for millions of children because of the high prices of the existing vaccines produced by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE)  and GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK), commented the France-based medical aid charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This is the first pneumococcal vaccine produced by a developing country manufacturer. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided some pioneering support for the development of the vaccine.

‘Little transparency on the prices charged by Pfizer and GSK’