In the current state of the world where H1N1 is considered a global pandemic and a health issue of great concern, governments all over the world are rushing to stockpile swine flu vaccines to try and curb the number of infections amongst its people. Ironically, while the current state of the global economy is considered by many as gloomy, we see an upward trend in the shares of the pharmaceutical giants. The outbreak of swine flu is fast becoming a goldmine for the pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Let’s draw along the dotted lines and find the connection.

This begs the question: Are these pharmaceutical companies really out there to provide immunization for the people of the world, or are they just out to make quick, big bucks from the crisis? Let’s take a look at the facts and figures. Fact: GlaxoSmithKline, the second largest pharmaceutical in today’s world, makers of Zanamivir (commercially known as Relenza), one of the two drugs used in the fight against the global flu outbreak, posted a net profit of 4.7 billion pounds in the previous fiscal year. Fact: Due to the massive widespread of the flu virus, GSK plans to sell over 3 billion pounds of a newly created vaccination against H1N1. On top of the billions of dollars earned from sales of Relenza to governments, one can safely bet GlaxoSmithKline will expect a massive windfall profit that is far more than that of their previous fiscal year.

Oseltamivir (otherwise known as Tamiflu), is the leading and considered the primary drug used in the fight against the flu virus. Tamiflu is currently marketed primarily by Roche. By having the almost near monopoly of global Tamiflu sales, Roche is able to control the production, marketing and sales of the flu vaccination drug as they desire. This effectively means the skyrocketing multiple-fold profit of Roche in the stock markets, a rare feat indeed in the downsized economy.

It is almost of definite certainty the world is being exploited by these pharmaceutical giants in the wake of this pandemic. The worst thing: they are not keeping the exploitation much of a secret. GlaxoSmithKline posted a strong profit in their second quarter, the profit boosted by the expanded sales of Relenza. They supply Relenza to over sixty governments in the world, arming themselves with 190 million doses of Relenza for 2009.With governments of the developed countries clamoring to get their hands on Tamiflu and Relenza, United Kingdom ordering a massive 60 million doses, smaller governments in the lesser developed countries have no other choice than to produce their own generic Relenza and Tamiflu and offer royalties to the pharmaceutical giants. Hence, by controlling the supply of the vaccination, these companies are effectively further exploiting the demand of the drugs, instead of completely helping the world in its fight against the H1N1 virus.

Lately, GlaxoSmithKline has rejected claims built by media sources that they are exploiting the global pandemic. While they promise 50 million vaccines of the new to-be-released vaccination against H1N1 to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is clear they are exploiting the production and sales of Relenza. They have allocated a mere 10 per cent of Relenza production for developing countries, a sadly insignificant number, considering the countries with the higher cases of H1N1 hail from developing countries. They have also promised to donate 2 million doses of Relenza to the WHO, a number far lesser than the much hyped out 50 million doses of the new vaccine to be donated to WHO. With 190 million doses of Relenza in production, it is safe to bet 2 million donation doses would not hurt their already bulging profit margin.

It is sad to say that even in times of global pandemic, where more than a thousand lives have been taken by the virus, the pharmaceutical giants of the world should be looking out more towards the health and well-being of its global populace, instead of turning it into a gold rush of their own. Perhaps the newly created vaccination against H1N1 should be produced generically instead of solely produced by a giant pharmaceutical maker. This will promise equal distribution of the vaccination for all the governments in the world.