Bio-Manguinhos, Gates Foundation to produce measles and rubella vaccine

Brazil's top biomedical research and development center, Bio-Manguinhos, is to produce a combined measles and rubella vaccine for developing countries, such as Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is expected to reach the market by 2017.

This new vaccine by Bio-Manguinhos is being developed in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who has given the company a grant of US $1.1 million to support clinical trials. The Gates Foundation may also contribute additional funds in subsequent phases of the project.

These new plans were announced recently by Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha at a medical science conference in Rio de Janerio.

Measles kills over 150,000 people a year round the world, and most of these are children under the age of five. The contagious viral disease Rubella can cause serious consequences to pregnant women and their babies.