Biotech industry set to break flu vaccine production record
Officials say industry will produce 132 million doses, with both Sanofi and MedImmune ramping up production capacity
Flu season is now mercifully behind us, so the time has come to start preparing for next year. According to public health care officials and relevent biotech companies, a record 132 million doses of flu vaccine will be made available in 2007-2008, with as many as five companies competing for the business. This falls short of the 218 million Americans whom the CDC believes should receive the vaccine, but the growing number of companies involved is a good sign that the market is robust. (The previous record was 121 million doses.) The companies include: Sanofi Pasteur (50 million doses); Novartis Vaccines (40 million); GlaxoSmithKline (30-35 million); MedImmune Vaccines (7 million of the FluMist variety); and newcomer CSL Biotherapies (20 million pending FDA approval.) The companies, the Washington Post reported, are “ramping up production,” with Sanofi building a new production facility and MedImmune planning to triple its output over the next few years.
