Canada will have enough vaccines to share

From the Globe and Mail:
Canadians will have a better chance of getting vaccinated against the pandemic influenza than people in many other countries, including the United States and Britain, thanks to nearly a decade of planning for the disease's arrival.

“We're actually in a fairly unique position of having domestic capacity, of having planned for that in Canada now for many years,” David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer, said in an interview with The Globe and Mail Thursday.

In 2001, the federal government began a 10-year agreement with a drug company that was eventually sold to GlaxoSmithKline. That contract obligates the giant pharmaceutical manufacturer to provide vaccine to every Canadian who wants it in the event of a pandemic.

Canada was the first country in the world to sign such an agreement, and, in exchange, it has given the company money to expand the capacity of its plant at Ste-Foy, Que.

“Three or four years ago, we could fill about eight million doses a month,” said Dr. Butler-Jones. “Now it's up closer to 14 million. So, within a couple of months, we have enough vaccine essentially for everybody living in Canada to get at least one dose, which would probably be sufficient for most of us.” ...more

HIV deal shows need for new pharmaceutical models

From Reuters:
The pharmaceutical industry is going back to the lab for its business models as it faces historic challenges.

Large drugmakers are experimenting with various collaborations as their major products face revenue declines, research productivity stalls, and governments and health insurers crack down on drug prices and healthcare costs.

The new ventures -- from deals on products to mega mergers -- seek to meet these challenges by cutting costs and mitigating the risks of research into new treatments.

Look no further than Thursday's deal between GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc. The world's two biggest drug companies announced plans to merge their HIV operations into a new company.

"Pharma is feeling its way," said Erik Gordon, a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. "They know that the present business model isn't going to work in the future ... What they're not sure of is what will work." ...more

GlaxoSmithKline makes Quebec the hub of its vaccine research and manufacturing

From the Montreal Gazette:
GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the world's second-biggest biopharma group, said yesterday Quebec will become the hub of its North American vaccine research and manufacturing operations, lifting the province's ambition to become a leader in life sciences.

GSK is investing $50 million of its own money to upgrade and expand its Laval vaccines research labs acquired along with a big Quebec City vaccines manufacturing plant in the $1.7-billion takeover of ID BioMedical in 2005.

"The Laval operation is being designated the North American HQ of our innovative vaccines division, the Belgium-based GSK Biologicals, and the administrative centre," said Paul Lucas, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Canada, GSK's main Canadian arm based in Mississauga, Ont. ...more