Sanofi, GSK, CSL Tapped to Expand US Bird Flu Vaccine Supply

A test tube labelled "Bird Flu" and eggs are seen in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

(Reuters) -GSK, Sanofi and CSL Ltd have secured $72 million from the U.S. government to ramp up production of bird flu vaccines, a health official said on Friday during a press briefing.

The move comes as a multi-state outbreak among livestock and poultry has caused human illnesses and infected more than 254 herds in 14 states since March, according to government data.

The companies will use the funds to fill vials and pre-filled syringes so that doses can be ready to distribute if needed, said David Boucher, director of Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The latest award includes $37.9 million for CSL, $23.4 million for Sanofi and $10.5 million for GSK.

It would more than double the country's supply of shots targeting bird flu, raising the country's total supply of ready-to-use doses to 10 million within the first quarter of 2025.

GSK, Sanofi and CSL will also make additional bulk vaccine ingredients matched to circulating strains of bird flu, Boucher said.

Australia's CSL recently secured a contract worth $121.4 million to increase the U.S. government's stockpile for bird flu vaccines to 40 million doses.

CSL and GSK did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Sanofi redirected Reuters to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a part of HHS that issued the reward.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru and Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington; Editing by Shreya Biswas and Mark Porter)