The price of the world’s first malaria vaccine, RTS,S, will be reduced by more than half — to less than $5 per dose in endemic countries by 2028, according to a commitment by drugmakers Bharat Biotech and GSK on Wednesday.
There will be a “phased” reduction in price that is fully realized by 2028, which is when the technology transfer of production from global biopharma company GSK to India-based biotechnology company Bharat Biotech is complete. The companies began their partnership in 2021.
This reduction will be made possible through process improvements, expanded production capacity, cost-effective manufacturing, and minimal profit margins, according to the companies. The vaccine was developed by GSK, the nonprofit organization PATH, and other partners — a process that took decades.
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
