Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30342925›Full record

ArticleThe Lancet. Global health2018

Estimating the cost of vaccine development against epidemic infectious diseases: a cost minimisation study.

Dimitrios Gouglas, Tung Thanh Le, Klara Henderson, Aristidis Kaloudis, Trygve Danielsen, Nicholas Caspersen Hammersland, James M Robinson, Penny M Heaton, John-Arne Røttingen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Lancet. Global health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 110 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
110citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

110 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  9. Global vaccine development.Nature medicine · 2026
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  13. Assessing CD8Clinical & translational immunology · 2026
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50 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Dimitrios GouglasNorwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; CEPI-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: dimitrios.gouglas@fhi.no.
Tung Thanh LeCEPI-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Oslo, Norway.
Klara HendersonCEPI-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Oslo, Norway; Independent consultant, North Balgowlah, NSW, Australia.
Aristidis KaloudisNorwegian University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Economics, Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Gjøvik, Norway.
Trygve DanielsenCEPI-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Oslo, Norway.
Nicholas Caspersen HammerslandCEPI-Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Oslo, Norway.
James M RobinsonIndependent consultant, Chester, MD, USA.
Penny M HeatonBill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
John-Arne RøttingenResearch Council of Norway, Lysaker, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations was established in 2016, to develop vaccines that can contribute to preparedness for outbreaks of epidemic infectious diseases. Evidence on vaccine development costs for such diseases is scarce. Our goal was to estimate the minimum cost for achieving vaccine research and development preparedness targets in a portfolio of 11 epidemic infectious diseases, accounting for vaccine pipeline constraints and uncertainty in research and development preparedness outcomes.

methodsWe assembled a pipeline of 224 vaccine candidates from preclinical through to phase 2 for 11 priority epidemic infectious diseases. We used a linear regression model to identify drivers of development costs from preclinical through to end of phase 2a. Drawing from published estimates of vaccine research and development probabilities of success, we simulated costs for advancing these 224 vaccine candidates through to the end of phase 2a. We combined these findings to determine minimum costs for progressing at least one vaccine through to the end of phase 2a per epidemic infectious disease by means of a stochastic optimisation model.

findingsThe cost of developing a single epidemic infectious disease vaccine from preclinical trials through to end of phase 2a is US$31-68 million (US$14-159 million range), assuming no risk of failure. We found that previous licensure experience and indirect costs are upward drivers of research and development costs. Accounting for probability of success, the average cost of successfully advancing at least one epidemic infectious disease vaccine through to the end of phase 2a can vary from US$84-112 million ($23 million-$295 million range) starting from phase 2 to $319-469 million ($137 million-$1·1 billion range) starting from preclinical. This cost includes the cumulative cost of failed vaccine candidates through the research and development process. Assuming these candidates and funding were made available, progressing at least one vaccine through to the end of phase 2a for each of the 11 epidemic infectious diseases would cost a minimum of $2·8-3·7 billion ($1·2 billion-$8·4 billion range).

interpretationOur analysis provides new evidence on vaccine research and development pipelines and associated costs for 11 epidemic infectious diseases, highlighting both funding needs and research and development gaps for achieving vaccine research and development preparedness targets.

fundingThis work was partly supported by the Research Council of Norway through the Global Health and Vaccination Programme GLOBVAC.

Indexed as

Communicable Disease ControlVaccinesCosts and Cost AnalysisDrug DevelopmentEpidemicsHumansVaccines

Identifiers

PMID30342925
PMCPMC7164811

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.