between 2004 and 2007, vaccine sales across the industry soared an average of 32 per cent each year, with flu vaccine leading the way. That is roughly four times faster than any other pharmaceutical product.
In a year that will be remembered for widespread public worry about the h1n1 virus, or swine flu, vaccines have become a $24-billion business. Analysts predict the global vaccine industry will top $40-billion by 2012. For companies like glaxo, sanofi-aventis, merck & co., novartis ag and pfizer inc., the fear of a pandemic has translated into a financial windfall that has been years in the making. Worldwide, nearly 1 billion doses of h1n1 vaccine have been ordered in 2009.
how vaccines became big business - the globe and mail
