CANADIAN VACCINES LEADER

GlaxoSmithKline is a pioneer in the development and production of innovative vaccines to prevent potentially life-threatening or crippling illnesses both in Canada and around the world. Working closely with researchers, academic institutions and governments, GSK is striving to provide access to vaccines for many preventable diseases for those at risk.

A WORLD OF VACCINES

• GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world’s leading vaccine manufacturers supplying more than a quarter of the global vaccine market.
  
  

• Every day, some 3 million doses of GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccines are distributed in 165 countries worldwide. 
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccines division employs approximately 6,200 people worldwide, dedicated to developing and manufacturing vaccines against the world’s most serious infections and diseases.
  
  

• In 2007, GlaxoSmithKline shipped more than 1.1 billion doses of its vaccines to the developing world where, for over 20 years, the company has been making vaccines accessible at preferential prices.
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline is one of the primary suppliers of vaccines to major international organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund and the Pan-American Health Organization. GSK is also one of the principle donors of vaccines - in conjunction with two other major polio manufacturers, it has donated 100 million doses of polio vaccines to the poorest African countries.
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline is a global vaccines pioneer, providing the world’s first vaccines for: rubella (1969), varicella  (1984), recombinant hepatitis B (1986), hepatitis A (1992), combined hepatitis A & B (1996), as well as a number of innovative combined vaccines. 

THE VALUE OF VACCINES

• An estimated eight million people die each year from diseases that could be prevented with future vaccines.
  
  

• Every year, thanks to immunization, approximately three million deaths are prevented and 750,000 children are saved from disability around the world. 
  
  

• Today, vaccines have made more than 20 diseases preventable: vaccines have eradicated smallpox, eliminated polio in the western hemisphere and controlled measles in the Americas.
  
  

• Currently, vaccines account for 0.26 per cent of Canadian health-care expenditures.
  
  

• Vaccination programs are considered by the Canadian Immunization Guide to be the most cost-beneficial health intervention.
  
  
  

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

• GlaxoSmithKline is continually examining new ways to prevent a greater number of diseases more effectively by developing new and innovative vaccines. Our vaccines development portfolio includes candidates for seasonal and pandemic influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae, meningitis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis E, malaria, melanoma and cervical cancer. 
  
  

• The company has researchers working on many vaccines projects targeted to preventing diseases that disproportionately affect the developing world, and is the only global pharmaceutical company developing vaccines for all three of the WHO's priority diseases, namely HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. 
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline currently has 25 vaccines in development.
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline is currently in phase III clinical trials for Cervarix^TM, a vaccine that has demonstrated up to 100 per cent efficacy in preventing precancerous lesions caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus) types 16 and 18, which cause more than 70 per cent of cervical cancers worldwide.

PANDEMIC PLANNING

• Vaccines are the single most important intervention for preventing influenza and, together with anti-virals, form a critical component of response plans to an influenza pandemic. While vaccines effective against a new pandemic virus are not yet available, GSK continues to research and develop new vaccines to combat pandemic threats. 
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline has a contract with the Government of Canada for the development and production of a prototype pandemic vaccine, and to provide the infrastructure and capacity to produce sufficient pandemic vaccine for Canadians in the event of an influenza pandemic.
  
  

• To date, GlaxoSmithKline has invested over $2 billion to expand its flu vaccine manufacturing capacity, which includes increased production of anti-viral medication.
  
  

• The company is also developing a number of innovative adjuvants designed to improve the available quantities and immunogenicity of its flu pandemic vaccines.

• In 2007, GSK donated 50 million doses of H5N1 adjuvanted pre-pandemic influenza vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) in support of its stockpile initiative. The donation will help establish a much needed stockpile of pre-pandemic vaccines that can be distributed to the world's poorest countries at short notice. Delivered over a three-year period, the donation will provide enough doses of vaccine for 25 million people at 2 injections per person.
  
  

CANADIAN VACCINES LEADER

• GlaxoSmithKline is the leading Canadian influenza vaccine manufacturer and will supply the majority of the Canadian government’s seasonal influenza vaccines purchases from 2005-2011.
  
  

• GSK supplied 75 per cent of Canada's seasonal flu vaccine from 2006-2008.
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline maintains two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities dedicated to the production of innovative vaccines in Quebec City and Laval, Quebec. 
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline's Laval site will also serve as a research and development hub for North America, providing activities related to research projects in early development, as well as the implementation of technological platforms supporting the pre-clinical and clinical development of candidate vaccines.  
  
  

• GlaxoSmithKline provides a number of vaccines that have been approved for use in Canada.  These include:
  
  
  • Boostrix®, a combined diptheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (adsorbed) (DTPa) vaccine for booster vaccination
    
    
  • Engerix®, a hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant)
    
    
  • Fluviral®, an influenza virus vaccine trivalent, inactivated, split-virion, prepared in eggs
    
    
  • Havrix®, a hepatitis A vaccine (attenuated)
    
    
  • Infanrix^TM IPV , a combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis and (inactivated) poliomyelitis vaccine
    
    
  • Infanrix^TMIPV/Hib, a combined diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliovirus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
    
    
  • Infanrix HEXA^TM, a combined diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B (recombinant), inactivated poliomyelitis and adsorbed conjugated Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
    
    
  • NeisVac-C®,  a meningococcal group C-TT conjugate vaccine (adsorbed)
    
    
  • Priorix®, a combined measles, mumps and rubella live, attenuated vaccine
    
    
  • Prioriz-Tetra^TM, a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, live, attenuated vaccine
    
    
  • Rotarix^TM, a human rotavirus, live, attenuated, oral vaccine
    
    
  • Twinrix®, a combined hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccine
    
    
  • Typherix®, a Salmonella typhi Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine for typhoid
    
    
  • Varilrix®, a varicella virus vaccine, live, attenuated (oka strain)

 

For further information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
Tel: 905 819-3000
www.gsk.ca

™ used under license by GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
® used under license by GlaxoSmithKline Inc.