Merck & Co's Gardasil and GSK's Cervarix to be available to developing countries via UNICEF tender

A new record low price for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines will help ensure millions of girls in developing countries can be protected against cervical cancer, thanks to the GAVI Alliance. The poorest countries will now have access to a sustainable supply of HPV vaccines for as low as $4.50 per dose. The same vaccines can cost more than $100 in developed countries and the previous lowest public sector price was $13 per dose.

UNICEF, as procurement partner for the GAVI Alliance, has run a public tender process and will now purchase HPV vaccines from Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) at $4.50 per dose and from GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) at $4.60 per dose for the award period, 2013-2017, for their Gardasil and Cervarix brands, respectively. Additionally, Merck has agreed to extend significantly lower prices to GAVI if total volumes increase in the future.

HPV vaccines are primarily available as part of routine immunization to girls in relatively wealthy countries. And yet of the 275,000 women in the world who die of cervical cancer every year, more than 85% are in low-income countries, where the incidence of HPV infection is higher and few women have access to screening and treatment.