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Biosecurity Briefing
HHS Spends $192.5 Million on H5N1 Vaccine By Kunal Rambhia, May 2, 2008 On April 29, 2008, CIDRAP reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) purchased $192.5 million worth of clade 2.2 H5N1 vaccine from sanofi pasteur. The purchase will provide 6.4 to 38.5 million doses of the vaccine to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) for clade 2.2 of the virus, which has been seen widely across Europe, Asia, and Africa. This variant of H5N1 has affected animals in 60 countries and humans in 8 countries.1 According to an April 28, 2008, sanofi pasteur press release, the $192.5 million purchased bulk vaccine antigen. The final formulation of the vaccine will depend on the concentration of the antigen needed to protect against a pandemic strain, and this cannot be determined until the pandemic strain emerges. The purchase is regarded as an “effort to diversify the vaccine stockpile.”2 The addition of a vaccine against clade 2.2 reflects growing concern about the viruses’ potential to cause disease. According to the World Health Organization, clade 2.2 viruses have caused outbreaks in “more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, with human cases in Azerbaijan, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey, the World Health Organization.”1 Dr. Robin Robinson, newly appointed director of HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA), noted that the SNS already contains vaccines for clade 1, clade 2.1, and clade 2.3 of the H5N1 virus.1 The CIDRAP story notes that “Robinson said the stockpile currently contains enough H5N1 vaccine to cover about 12 million to 13 million people, assuming two 90-microgram (mcg) doses per person.”1 Robinson also stated that “HHS is supporting the development of adjuvants by [GlaxoSmithKline], Novartis, and Iomai, Inc.” 1 The use of adjuvants, which are substances that increase the effectiveness of vaccine, could decrease the dosage necessary for vaccination. Combining a licensed adjuvant with a vaccine could increase the number of doses added to the SNS well beyond the current estimates. Robinson also noted that should an adjuvant be licensed, HHS would consider its addition to the SNS as well. References
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