Glaxo, Pfizer Blamed for High Vaccine Prices in Poor Nations

GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc. are overcharging for vaccines in developing countries, Doctors Without Borders said, leaving some nations unable to afford shots that reduce child mortality.

Lack of transparency and scant competition has led to “wildly different” pricing by country that doesn’t always reflect ability to pay, the medical aid charity also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a report today. The group called on Glaxo and Pfizer to cut the price of the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against pneumonia, meningitis and ear and sinus infections, to $5 per child.