PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, President George
Bush met with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier and CEOs of
other vaccine manufacturers to review ways in which the industry can support
the US Government in its plans to respond to potential global flu pandemic.
Following the meeting, Garnier said: "I commend President Bush for
actively planning to protect the American public in the event of a flu
pandemic. We have been working with the US government, as well as governments
and health authorities around the world, to outline our antiviral and flu
vaccine capabilities, and identify how they fit into preparations for pandemic
flu. We will work with President Bush to do everything we can to support the
US government's efforts."
Recently GSK has invested $2 billion to expand the company's flu vaccine
manufacturing capacity and to increase the production of its antiviral
Relenza(R) (zanamivir for inhalation). Both could help meet public health
needs in the case of pandemic.
Relenza is one of several antiviral drugs that could be considered for the
treatment of influenza. Currently, pandemic concerns have increased demand
for available supplies of Relenza; therefore, GSK is investing to expand its
manufacturing capacities to help meet the pandemic planning needs of
governments and international organizations.
GSK is also rapidly and significantly expanding its capabilities to
manufacture flu vaccine. The company expects to substantially increase its
North American manufacturing capacity with the proposed acquisition of ID
Biomedical, a Canadian vaccine manufacturer. The company has also expanded
its manufacturing plant in Dresden, Germany, more than doubling capacity in
the coming years from the current 35 million doses annually. GSK is also
preparing a plan to convert more of the company's manufacturing capabilities
to pandemic flu vaccine production if needed.
As a major vaccine research company, GSK also has an H5N1 prototype
pandemic vaccine in development. The prototype uses an adjuvant which may
boost the body's immune response to the vaccine and allow for lower doses to
be used, which would be essential for treating large populations in a
pandemic. The prototype may also protect against additional strains (drifted
from H5N1) that could arise. Clinical trials with the H5N1 flu strain are
planned in 2006.
GSK is also investing in development of new vaccine production
technologies. The company recently acquired a vaccine plant in Marietta, PA,
that will become a primary development and production center for tissue
culture technology used to create the next generation of flu vaccines. Tissue
culture technology could eliminate dependence on chicken eggs, thereby
increasing the efficiency and speed of manufacturing, which would be critical
in a pandemic. Tissue culture is therefore one of the most promising future
technologies for the production of flu vaccines.
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical
and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life
by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline
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+1-215-751-7709, or Gaile Renegar, +1-919-483-2319; UK Media
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