Role of industry
Developing, producing and supplying vaccines: The role of the pharmaceutical industry
Investment in research and development, largely by the pharmaceutical industry, has resulted in a broad range of vaccines targeting over 25 infectious diseases. During the last 30 years scientists have made further breakthroughs by harnessing the power of biotechnology, genetic decoding and information technology, and the pace of vaccine development has accelerated. As a consequence, the vaccine industry has recently introduced a number of new vaccines such as those against cervical cancer (human papillomavirus), meningococcal infection, pandemicpotential influenza, pneumococcal diseases, rotavirus diarrhea and varicella zoster.
As biological sciences continue to advance, the pharmaceutical industry is making considerable investments to further extend the range of available vaccines. Scientists continue to work on preventing infectious diseases, including those that disproportionately affect the developing world such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. There are currently a number of vaccines in development that are designed to treat diseases, such as cancer. Unlike more traditional vaccines, these aim to focus the immune system on attacking established disease, rather than offering protection against infection.
Vaccines in Development
| Bacterial diseases | Viral diseases | Parasitic diseases | Therapeutic diseases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clostridium difficile Chlamydia Escherichia coli Helicobacter pylori Meningococcus B Plague Pseudomonas aeruginosa Shigella Staphylococcus Streptococcus group A & B Tuberculosis
|
Cytomegalovirus Dengue fever Ebola Epstein-Barr Genital herpes Hepatitis C Hepatitis E Herpes simplex HIV Influenza (universal) Parainfluenza Respiratory syncytial virus SARS West Nile |
Hookworm Leishmaniasis Malaria Schistosomiasis
|
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) Alzheimer’s Breast cancer Cervical cancer Cocaine addiction Colorectal cancer Lung cancer Melanoma Multiple sclerosis Nicotine addiction Pediatric tumors |
The process of researching, testing, gaining regulatory approval and manufacturing vaccines is costly, complex and protracted. Vaccines are biological medicines based on living organisms and therefore must meet specific, extensive regulatory requirements throughout their development, production and distribution cycles. As a result, developing a new vaccine takes on average 18.5 years, costs over $500 million and can require testing in tens of thousands of subjects.1
The production of vaccines is highly complicated and can take many months, and sometimes more than a year. Of this time, a significant proportion is spent on quality testing and manufacturing controls to make sure the vaccines are of the highest standard. Achieving this sustainable investment requires long-term commitment, predictable future demand and government policies that recognise the value of vaccination.
Increasingly. public health policies at national and international levels recognise the importance and value of vaccination. However, to ensure continued stability and provide a supportive environment for ongoing investment in innovative new vaccines, long-term partnership and collaboration between policy makers, public health authorities and industry is crucial.
References
- Biomedical Industry Advisory Group. The Biomedical Research & Development Guide 2006. ↩
Page updated: March 2011