Big Pharma's vaccine run marks

Pfizer

The pharmaceutical industry's very foundations are based on the development of new drugs. Currently the industry is beavering away, working on creating vaccines to prevent a multitude of illnesses and diseases. What's more, reports now say the flurry of vaccine development could pay off: with analysts predicting that many could be on the market within the next five years.

The reason behind the boost in vaccine activity is simple: while vaccines were once a
low-profit niche in a booming drug industry, today the development of a new vaccine can be just what the doctor ordered for a struggling pharmaceutical company.

Emilio Emini, Pfizer Inc.'s head of vaccine research, explains further: "Even if a small portion of everything that's going on now is successful in the next 10 years, you put that together with the last 10 years and it's going to be characterized as a golden era."

Competition

Vaccines are also in the spotlight as generic competition and drug expiries continue to plague the industry. According to reports, pharmaceutical investment in partnerships and other deals to develop and manufacture vaccines are on the rise, and billions of dollars in government grants are bringing better, faster ways to develop and manufacture vaccines.

The good news continues. According to analysts, while prescription drug sales are forecast to rise by a third in the next five years, vaccine sales should double. That could mark a significant rise from $19 billion last year to $39 billion by 2013. That's five times the $8 billion in vaccines sales accumulated in 2004.

Perhaps best of all, however, is the fact that Big Pharma are currently working on vaccines for some of the world's most feared and biggest killers. From malaria to tuberculosis, to Alzheimer's disease to AIDs, all are currently being tackled by the pharmaceutical industry's vaccine run.

At the top

Analysts say that Britain's GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is racing to become the world's top vaccine manufacturer by revenue, unseating current leader Merck & Co. Earlier this year, GSK opened a state-of-the-art vaccine packaging plant in Marietta, Pa., west of Philadelphia, so it can expand in the US market.

What's more, the vaccine boon just seems to get bigger. GSK specifically, which sold only one vaccine in the US 13 years ago, now sells 12. It sells 30 worldwide. The firm also has 20 more vaccines in human testing, including ones for meningitis and malaria.

And now, with the rest of Big Pharma following suit, the "golden era" could well be upon us.

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