Investing in vaccines for developing countries: how public–private partnerships can confront neglected diseases

Abstract

This commentary discusses the barrier of vaccine price on sustainable immunization programs in developing countries and offers examples of new mechanisms driven by public–private partnerships to overcome issues of affordability. These mechanisms include Advance Market Commitments with vaccine manufacturers, which take a demand-pull approach to ensure increased production of available vaccines or development of new vaccines for neglected diseases. A second approach applies a supply-push mechanism, such as technology transfer to developing-country manufacturers. A public–private partnership that set long-term, maximum public-sector pricing to increase access of a Japanese encephalitis vaccine for the developing world is highlighted. Lessons learned from this experience can be applied to address common obstacles to new vaccine introduction in resource-limited countries, including issues of affordability, manufacturing capacity, equity in access, and quality assurance.