Sanofi Pasteur wins order for IPV from UNICEF, cutting price to $1 per dose

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of French drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) says that UNICEF, the organization that procures the vaccine to meet global needs, will purchase significant quantities of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) from Sanofi Pasteur and make it available based on country needs and vaccination plans.

To achieve the goal of polio eradication by 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that by end 2015, all children receive routinely at least one dose of IPV in over 120 countries that solely use Oral Polio Vaccine.

Price support mechanism

In order to support rapid and widespread adoption of IPV, Sanofi Pasteur - the world's largest producer of IPV - and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have developed a joint price support mechanism, including a financial contribution from both organizations. This mechanism allows Sanofi Pasteur to offer IPV at a price of 0.75 euros per dose (around $1) to 73 of the world's poorest countries. The GAVI Alliance, a global immunization partnership, will make IPV available for inclusion in routine immunization schedules in these countries.