Bharat Biotech cuts malaria vaccine price by 40 % under Gavi-UNICEF agreement

Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) has announced an equitable pricing agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF for the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine, developed by GSK and manufactured by BBIL under the brand name Mosqivac.

The agreement, executed by UNICEF and financially backed by Gavi, will reduce the vaccine’s price by approximately 40 per cent. It is expected to generate around US$50 million in savings for child immunisation programmes between 2027 and 2029 and enable up to one million more children to receive the full four-dose course.

Enabled through an advance payment by the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), the agreement will bring the vaccine’s price to EUR 5.50 per dose, a reduction of approximately 40 per cent from the price paid today. The lower price is expected to take effect by early 2027 and reflects efforts to establish a sustainable and competitive malaria vaccine market.

RTS,S/AS01, developed by GSK, PATH and partners, was the first malaria vaccine to be recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021. Since then, GSK and Bharat Biotech have invested US$200 million in manufacturing facilities with higher output, product development and technology transfer to expand and strengthen supply at a lower cost. These investments are supporting access to the vaccine and its potential public health impact.

“The Gavi–UNICEF deal is a far-reaching commitment to expand malaria vaccination and according to Gavi/UNICEF estimates, can help ensure one million more children are protected from malaria. As partners in global public health, we have invested significantly to expand supply, strengthen manufacturing and support sustainable, affordable access to malaria vaccines,” Dr. Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech International said.

“The opportunity is to turn this progress into public health. Countries and global organizations now have an important role to play in accelerating vaccine introductions so that more children and communities at risk can benefit. We remain committed to working with partners to help make that happen and reduce the burden of malaria,” Dr. Ella added.

Dr. Harmony P. Garges, GSK’s Chief Global Health Officer, said “This new agreement follows major investment by both GSK and BBIL to help secure long-term equitable access to RTS,S/AS01 for many more children. At a time when global health resources are under increasing pressure – both for international organisations and for countries – partnership matters more than ever and this deal with Gavi–UNICEF further demonstrates how close collaboration across the global health landscape can help deliver real impact for children most at risk of malaria.”

Demand for malaria vaccines has exceeded initial forecasts since rollout began in 2024. To date, UNICEF has procured and delivered more than 74 million doses. The Gavi-funded malaria programme is now part of routine immunisation in 25 African countries, which account for more than 70 per cent of the global malaria burden.

At a time of decline in funding for international aid, efforts to establish affordable and sustainable supply are critical to meeting the Alliance’s target of vaccinating 50 million more children against malaria by 2030.

One child dies from malaria every minute, accounting for nearly half a million deaths each year. In 2024, an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths were reported globally. Up to 95 per cent of cases and deaths occurred in Africa, where around 74 per cent of deaths were among children under five.

A full four-dose course of RTS,S/AS01 reduces malaria cases by about 75 per cent when administered seasonally in areas with high seasonal transmission. New and improved malaria vaccines will be increasingly important as rising temperatures alter transmission patterns and extend malaria into new areas, while flooding and other extreme events displace communities, damage infrastructure and disrupt health systems.

Vaccines are one of several malaria interventions, alongside insecticide-treated nets, spatial emanators, repellents and other vector control interventions, chemoprevention, and prompt diagnosis and treatment.