The Brazilian health minister announced plans for a partnership between Bio-Manguinhos and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop and export an affordable combined measles and rubella vaccine to poor countries.

Measles is a leading cause of under-five mortality in low income countries and rubella carries serious consequences for pregnant women and their babies.

Brazil is following in the footsteps of China and India; major emerging markets developing low-cost vaccines and medicines specifically for export to poorer nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Bio-Manguinhos, Brazil’s top medical research facility, will increase availability of the combined vaccine, currently only made by one other manufacturer, by 30 million doses annually and at much lower costs than pharmaceutical companies in developed nations.

The Gates Foundation has granted US$1.1m to support clinical trials and the new vaccine is expected to reach the market by 2017.

Source: Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/28/us-brazil-measles-idUSBRE99R0IQ20131028

Min Ke, Medical Student