MSF challenges Pfizer's pneumonia vaccine patent in India

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has, for the first time ever, filed a ‘patent opposition’ in India to prevent US pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) from getting a patent on the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13)

The objective is to allow more affordable versions to become available to developing countries and humanitarian organizations. This is the first time a vaccine (biosimilar) patent has been challenged in India by a medical organisation, with the goal of millions more children being protected against deadly pneumonia.

Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death, killing almost one million children each year. Currently, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and UK-based GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) are the only two manufacturers of the vaccine, which could prevent a large number of these deaths, says the international medical humanitarian organization.