STAT : declared in Lawmakers ask U.S. Army to hold a hearing on Zika vaccine licensing

Agroup of Florida lawmakers is urging the U.S. Army to hold a hearing on its plan to give Sanofi an exclusive license to develop a Zika virus vaccine, a move that has raised concerns the product may be priced too high for many Americans, even though it was developed with taxpayer funds. In a June 13 letter, eight U.S. House Democrats and one Republican expressed concern about the "potential for monopolistic practices that would, effectively, keep this life-saving vaccine out of reach for far too many of our constituents." At the same time, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who is also a Democrat, sent his own letter in which he urged the Army to limit the price for the vaccine.

Lawmakers in hard-hit Florida want public hearing in Sanofi Zika vaccine scuffle

"There is a very strong likelihood there will be a competitive Zika vaccine marketplace with 32 Zika vaccines in early development. Market-watchers have predicted the Zika vaccine market could be worth $1 billion per year or more. Having seen Zika's devastating effects reach Florida residents, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the state is urging the Army to pump the brakes on its exclusive vaccine license to Sanofi. The House members are requesting that the license be delayed until officials can hold a public hearing on the plan. KEI was among the first to protest the proposed license, kicking off a campaign that's gained a great deal of steam in recent months.


A staff member from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's vaccine production facility examines cultured mammalian cells for the Zika virus. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research WRAIR scientists developed the trial vaccine, called Zika purified inactivated virus, or ZPIV, using the same technology they used to create a Japanese encephalitis vaccine licensed in 2009.


collected by :Lucy William

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