Smallpox Vaccine

HL Deb 27 May 2002 vol 635 cc125-6WA

Baroness Noakes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which pharmaceutical companies they approached about the purchase of smallpox vaccine; and whether those companies included Bavarian Nordic. [HL3923]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of kings Heath)

Detailed confidential discussion were held with five major pharmaceutical companies which were known to have vaccine manufacturing capability either in the United Kingdom or in Europe. The companies, whose agreement to being identified has been obtained, were Acambis, Aventis Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, PowderJect and RIVM.

Bavarian Nordic was known to be working with PowderJect and was approached, and made it clear to the Department of Health that all discussions regarding the supply of its product were to be conducted through PowderJect.