Unicef awards Crucell US$110m order for paediatric vaccine

Published: 6-May-2010

Funding will enable Quinvaxem to be supplied to the developing world


Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell has received an additional US$110m order from Unicef to supply its paediatric vaccine Quinvaxem to the developing world.

Paediatric vaccination plays an important role in contributing to achieving the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations, in particular the target of reducing the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.

‘We are proud to be able to deliver significant amount of additional vaccine orders at short notice,’ said Ronald Brus, chief executive of Crucell, which is headquartered in Leiden.

From 2006–2009 more than 130 million doses of Quinvaxem were delivered to more than 50 countries. Crucell has been increasing its production capacity over the last few years in order to meet the growing demand for paediatric vaccines from the developing world.

Quinvaxem protects against five potentially deadly childhood diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemoplilus influenza type b infection and hepatitis B. It is ready for use without further preparation steps by healthcare workers in the field, which offers major advantages for countries with a challenging infrastructure and hygiene problems.

This latest order brings the overall value of tenders awarded to Crucell for the period of 2010–2012 to US$410m.

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