UK govt in talks with GlaxoSmithKline to offload swine flu vaccine stocks as pandemic fails to materialize

In line with recent moves by other European governments, notably in France and Germany, as well as  European Parliament moves to debate the 'pandemic fiasco'(The Pharma Letter January 5), UK officials are in discussion with drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline over contracts for remaining doses of the H1N5 pandemic influenza vaccine. Options include selling surplus vaccine and donating it to poorer countries but a stockpile will remain in place, reported the public broadcaster, the BBC.

Cases of swine flu have now dropped dramatically to well below what is usually seen in winter flu outbreaks. The UK bought 60 million doses of the vaccine from GSK and 30 million from the USA's Baxter but the smaller contract with the latter had a break clause should the doses not be needed. To date, 23.9 million doses of GSK vaccine have been delivered for immunization of priority groups in the UK as well as 5 million from Baxter.

David Salisbury, director of immunization for the UK Department of Health, said at a news conference last Friday: 'We are in discussions now with GSK about the vaccine coming in and are under discussions about the surplus we already have. With the surplus, we may sell it or we may keep it in case of a resurgence. It is a work in progress; we are looking at all options. If there was a resurgence we would look very foolish if we had disposed of a valuable stockpile."