Pfizer Pneumonia Vaccine: Company Cuts Price For Humanitarian Emergency Cases

Pfizer Inc. is going to offer its pneumococcal vaccine Prevenar 13 at the lowest possible price to nongovernmental organizations working in “humanitarian emergency settings,” the U.S. pharmaceuticals giant announced Friday.

Under its plan for a major expansion of the company’s humanitarian assistance work, Pfizer will offer the vaccine, which protects babies and children against diseases like pneumonia, at the lowest prevailing price across the world — currently standing at $3.10 per dose.

“Pfizer is proud of the significant impact that our Prevenar 13 vaccine and our partnerships with many humanitarian organizations have had on public health across the globe. Only by putting the needs of refugees at the center, can we all work collaboratively to help prevent disease in some of the world’s most vulnerable populations,” said Susan Silbermann, president and general manager, Pfizer Vaccines, in a statement.

“We are especially pleased to donate all proceeds from these sales to civil society organizations for the first year to support the significant additional needs these groups have on the ground,” she added.

Refugees and others under duress can receive the newest version of Prevenar 13 starting 2017, the company said.

The drugmaker’s move comes soon after GlaxoSmithKline announced its decision to cut the price of Synflorix, also a pneumococcal vaccine, in September this year. The British pharmaceutical company promised to reduce the price of its shots to $3.05 when used in humanitarian crises, Reuters reported.

With a number of refugees across the world living in poor conditions and a host of natural disasters like earthquakes and tropical storms, the World Health Organization is looking to establish an emergency vaccine supply system, which can be used to treat those who have no access to essential medication.