Drug companies agree to cut price of HPV vaccine to developing countries to increase accessibility

More girls in developing countries will have access to vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the infection responsible for most forms of cervical cancer, after drug companies agreed to supply the vaccine at a much lower price.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI Alliance), a public-private partnership whose aim is to increase access to vaccines in developing countries, has negotiated with the companies Merck and GlaxoSmithKline for vaccines to be priced at $4.50 (£2.90; €3.40) and $4.60 a dose, respectively. The previous lowest price for developing countries was around $13 a dose.

GAVI hopes that by 2020 around 30 million girls in 40 countries will have access to the vaccine and that the cost of the vaccine will reduce further as demand for it rises.

Of 15 countries …