Hyderabad, October 23, 2026: Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) on Friday announced an agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF to reduce the price of RTS,S/AS01, the world’s first malaria vaccine, developed by GSK and now manufactured by BBIL under the brand name Mosqivac®.
The agreement, executed by UNICEF and financially backed by Gavi, will reduce the vaccine’s price by approximately 40 per cent, generating an estimated US$50 million in savings for child immunisation programmes between 2027 and 2029. The savings are expected to enable up to one million additional children to receive the complete four-dose vaccination course.
Vaccine Price to Fall to €5.50 Per Dose
Enabled by an advance payment from the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), the agreement will bring the vaccine’s price down to €5.50 per dose, approximately 40 per cent below the current price. The revised pricing is expected to take effect by early 2027.
The agreement forms part of broader efforts to establish a more sustainable and competitive malaria vaccine market while improving affordability and expanding access in countries with a high malaria burden.
Manufacturing Investments Support Affordable Supply
RTS,S/AS01 was developed by GSK, PATH and partners and became the first malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021.
Since then, GSK and Bharat Biotech have invested US$200 million in new, higher-output manufacturing facilities, product development and technology transfer to expand production capacity and strengthen supply at a lower cost.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech International, said:
“The Gavi–UNICEF deal is a far-reaching commitment to expand malaria vaccination and according to Gavi/UNICEF estimates, can help ensure one million more children are protected from malaria. As partners in global public health, we have invested significantly to expand supply, strengthen manufacturing and support sustainable, affordable access to malaria vaccines,” Dr. Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech International said.
“The opportunity is to turn this progress into public health. Countries and global organizations now have an important role to play in accelerating vaccine introductions so that more children and communities at risk can benefit. We remain committed to working with partners to help make that happen and reduce the burden of malaria,” Dr. Ella added.
Dr. Harmony P. Garges, GSK’s Chief Global Health Officer, highlighted the importance of continued investment and collaboration in expanding access to the vaccine.
“This new agreement follows major investment by both GSK and BBIL to help secure long-term equitable access to RTS,S/AS01 for many more children. At a time when global health resources are under increasing pressure – both for international organisations and for countries – partnership matters more than ever and this deal with Gavi–UNICEF further demonstrates how close collaboration across the global health landscape can help deliver real impact for children most at risk of malaria.”
Demand for Malaria Vaccines Exceeds Initial Forecasts
Demand for malaria vaccines has exceeded initial forecasts since rollout began in 2024. UNICEF has procured and delivered more than 74 million doses to date.
The Gavi-funded malaria vaccination programme has been incorporated into routine immunisation in 25 African countries, which together account for more than 70 per cent of the global malaria burden.
The price reduction comes amid declining international aid funding and efforts to meet the global target of vaccinating 50 million more children against malaria by 2030. Affordable and sustainable vaccine supplies will be critical to achieving that goal.
Africa Bears the Greatest Malaria Burden
Malaria continues to pose a major global public health challenge, particularly for young children in Africa. One child dies from malaria every minute, amounting to nearly half a million deaths annually.
In 2024, an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally. Africa accounted for up to 95 per cent of cases and deaths, while approximately 74 per cent of malaria deaths in the region occurred among children under five.
A complete four-dose course of RTS,S/AS01 reduces malaria cases by about 75 per cent when administered seasonally in areas with high seasonal transmission.
Malaria vaccines are also expected to play an increasingly important role as rising temperatures alter transmission patterns and extend the disease into new areas. Flooding and other extreme weather events can further increase vulnerabilities by displacing communities, damaging infrastructure and disrupting healthcare services.
Vaccination Remains Part of a Broader Malaria Strategy
Vaccines are one component of a comprehensive malaria prevention and treatment strategy. Other interventions include insecticide-treated nets, spatial emanators, repellents and other vector-control measures, chemoprevention, and prompt diagnosis and treatment.
The expansion of vaccine access, alongside these interventions, is intended to strengthen malaria prevention and reduce the disease burden in high-risk communities.
Bharat Biotech’s Global Vaccine Portfolio
Established in 1996 on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Bharat Biotech became the first anchor industry to catalyse the development of Genome Valley, now recognised as Asia’s largest life sciences cluster.
Over three decades, the company has expanded from a single facility into a biotechnology enterprise with research and development operations, Bio-Safety Level 3 manufacturing capabilities, and vertically integrated cell and gene therapy facilities.
Its vaccine portfolio includes products targeting influenza H1N1, rotavirus (ROTAVAC®), Japanese encephalitis (JENVAC®), rabies (Chirorab® and Indirab®), cholera (HILLCHOL®), and malaria (RTS,S). The company also developed Typbar TCV®, described as the world’s first conjugate vaccine for typhoid.
Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccines, COVAXIN® and INCOVACC®, were developed to help address the global public health impact of the pandemic.
The company is also advancing MTBVAC, a tuberculosis vaccine candidate, and developing candidates targeting diseases including chikungunya, Zika, Shigella, polio, paratyphoid A and non-typhoidal Salmonella, alongside a hexavalent vaccine.
The new pricing agreement with Gavi and UNICEF represents a further step in efforts to expand access to malaria vaccination, with the anticipated savings aimed at reaching more children in countries heavily affected by the disease.
