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Drug company GlaxoSmithKline will benefit from a £1 billion sales boost in the final three months of the year thanks to demand for the swine flu vaccination, the group confirmed.
The company has so far shipped 25 million doses of the vaccination, and is set to meet worldwide orders for 440 million.
The company reported a 3% rise in sales in the third quarter, to £6.76 million.
However, the results do not include the sales figures for the swine flu vaccine, Pandemrix.
Glaxo has also pledged to donate 50 million swine flu vaccinations to the World Health Organisation in a bid to fight the global pandemic.
It confirmed in July the vaccination would cost developed countries around seven euros (£6.34) for each dose, but has declined to reveal production costs amid speculation that a Pandemrix dose costs as little as £1 to make.
The group received approval for the vaccine in Europe in September and has been “ramping up” production over the past three weeks to meet surging demand.
It has yet to receive approval in the US, but said it was a minor player in the American vaccination programme, with orders expected of around 7.5 million doses.
Around half a million people will have received its vaccine this week as part of European government vaccination programmes to immunise high-risk groups first, according to the company.
Copyright Press Association 2009
GlaxoSmithKline
