The first malaria vaccine will cost THIS much.

An agreement announced this Wednesday between the British pharmaceutical company GSK and the Indian company Bharat Biotech will allow the malaria vaccine - the first to be authorized by the WHO - the "RTS,S " to cost less than five dollars per dose and mass-produced in India, a milestone that could accelerate the fight against the disease.

This reduction in cost is the result of the complete transfer of vaccine technology to India's Bharat Biotech, which will be completed in 2028 and was formalized as part of a pledge to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The new price, which will be reached progressively with the support of the Gavi vaccine alliance, is crucial to making the drug accessible. According to the WHO, Malaria causes more than 600,000 deaths annually, and this pharmaceutical company's pilot programs have demonstrated a 13% reduction in mortality among vaccinated children in high-incidence areas.

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With this agreement, India becomes the hub for malaria vaccine production, as it will manufacture the two main vaccines recommended by the WHO.

Since 2021, Bharat Biotech has invested more than $200 million in high-capacity facilities and the adoption of the manufacturing process, which will facilitate "a long-term, sustainable supply" to malaria-endemic countries, according to a joint statement.

Known as Mosquirix was the first vaccine authorized in the world to prevent childhood malaria. and competes in the market with a second drug, R21/Matrix-M, developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

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This will also strengthen the Asian country's role as the "pharmacy of the world"—thanks to its enormous capacity to produce low-cost medicines and vaccines—although its reputation has been tarnished in recent years by doubts about the quality of some of its products.

The production transition will be gradual and is expected to be completed by 2028, a step that global health organizations say is critical to closing the gap between vaccine supply and the urgent needs of at-risk children.

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