The federal government has awarded more than $1 billion to five drug manufacturers developing technology for speedier mass production of vaccines in the event of a pandemic.
The funding comes from the $3.8 billion that Congress approved last year in the name of pandemic preparedness. The federal government says its goal is to be able to distribute a vaccine to every American within six months of a pandemic. Currently, flu vaccines are produced in specialized chicken eggs, but that technique does not allow for speedy mass vaccinations.
The companies receiving the contracts were: GlaxoSmithKline, $274.8 million; MedImmune Inc, $169.5 million; Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, $220.5 million; DynPort, $41 million; and Solvay Pharmaceutical, $298.6 billion. The contracts cover a five-year period.
Government Funding for Bird Flu Vaccines
The federal government has awarded more than $1 billion to five drug manufacturers developing technology for speedier mass production of vaccines in the event of a pandemic. The funding comes from the $3.8 billion that Congress approved last year in the name of pandemic preparedness. The federal government says its goal is to be able to distribute a vaccine to every American within six months of a pandemic.
Aug 30, 2006