Open season for pharma firms as Vietnam launches public immunisation programme

The programmes will remove a major roadblock for pharmaceutical firms.

Pharmaceutical firms have always had a hard time in Vietnam, but the launch of the public immunisation programme might change things for these companies.

According to BMI Research, one central impediment have been the high costs for vaccine doses coupled with the low purchasing power of the population, dissuading patients from purchasing these pharmaceuticals.

“For example, a cost-benefit s tudy of GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix (rotavirus vaccine) in Vietnam noted that the treatment would be classified as very cost-effective as it allowed the healthcare system to reduce one disability-adjusted life year lost for every USD540 spent,” BMI Research said.

“In contrast, the base-case, cost effectiveness ratio for antiretroviral therapy in same-site therapy was USD1,358 per quality-adjus ted life year gained (an equivalent metric to the DALY),” the report added.

Meanwhile, as part of a 2020 strategy to have local production of vaccines be able to supply the whole of domesic demand, the goverment has sought to include vaccines manufactured in Vietnam into the EPI to grow the local pharmaceutical industry.

“This synergises with other initiatives - eg, signing agreements with local drug makers such as the Institute of Vaccine and Medical Biologics and Pasteur,” the report said.