Re-evaluating the ‘cost’ of life: Cancer-preventing HPV vaccines are substantially over-priced, says study

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

A recent study by leading American health researchers reveals that the manufacturing costs for the two most prevalent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines could be priced much lower than even their quoted ‘no profit’ price, thus potentially having a substantial impact on the global morbidity and mortality rates associated with cervical cancer.

A new study from a team led by Donald Light, a professor of comparative health policy at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, has found that the manufacturing costs for the most popular HPV vaccine, Gardasil-4, to rich countries average only $2.05-$3.07 (approximately Rs 136-205) a dose, while the costs for developing countries average $0.48-$0.59 (approx Rs 32-39) a dose.

×However, the current prices for affluent markets average $81.00 (approx Rs 5406) a dose, $13 (approx Rs 868) a dose for a non-Gavi developing country and $4.50 (approx Rs 300) per dose for a Gavi country (of which the country pays about ​$0.20-$0.60 a dose and the rest is paid by donors, who probably don’t know that most of the donations are going to extra profits rather than manufacturing).​

Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance  – supplies vaccines at subsidised rates to 53 poor countries, that include India, Pakistan as well as some African and Central Asian nations.

Source: First Post (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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vaccines