Washington: GSK, Sanofi, and CSL Ltd have secured $72 million from the U.S. government to boost the production of bird flu vaccines, a health official announced on Friday during a press briefing. This funding comes as a multi-state outbreak among livestock and poultry has led to human illnesses and infected more than 254 herds across 14 states since March, according to government data.
The companies will utilize the funds to fill vials and pre-filled syringes, ensuring that doses are ready for distribution if needed, stated David Boucher, director of Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The latest award allocates $37.9 million to CSL, $23.4 million to Sanofi, and $10.5 million to GSK. This funding will more than double the nation’s supply of shots targeting bird flu, increasing the total supply of ready-to-use doses to 10 million by the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, GSK, Sanofi, and CSL will produce more bulk vaccine ingredients tailored to circulating strains of bird flu, Boucher noted.
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Australia’s CSL recently secured a separate contract worth $121.4 million to enhance the U.S. government’s stockpile of bird flu vaccines to 40 million doses. CSL and GSK did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Sanofi directed Reuters to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a division of HHS that issued the funding.
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