Microsoft word - relenza purchasing options pr final 9.2.08.doc

For Distribution: 3rd September 2008, Philadelphia, PA

GlaxoSmithKline Offers New Purchasing Options
to Help Employers Overcome Barriers to
Pandemic Stockpiling of Relenza®


GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE: GSK] announced today the launch of the RELENZA® (zanami vir)
Inhalation Powder Pandemic Readiness for Employers Program (P.R.E.P.) that enables
businesses two options when stockpiling RELENZA in preparation for an influenza pandemic.
Under the new plan, businesses will have the option to purchase Relenza now at a discounted
rate with free storage or to reserve quantities of Relenza for future purchase at a capped rate
with a nominal annual fee .
“We are committed to helping employers and other business leaders prepare for an influenza
pandemic and its impact on the health of their employees and the operational integrity of their
organizations,” said Chris Viehbacher, President, North American Pharmaceuticals,
GlaxoSmithKline. “ By offering employers these options, we aim to reduce the storage and cost
barriers associated with implementing an antiviral stockpiling program.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) encourages employers to take the lead in protecting their workforce and to stockpile the antivirals they will need to protect their employees. HHS acknowledges the importance of diversifyi ng stockpiles and recommends the stockpiling of existing antiviral drugs as part of a comprehensive pandemic plan . “A diversified stockpile of anti virals is important as we are coming to understand that our concerns for the past few years about resistance of pandemic influenza viruses to antivirals were justified, ” said Anne Moscona, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and of Microbiology and Immunology and Vice Chair for Research of Pediatrics, New York-Presbyterian Hospital /Weill Cornell Medical Center. “The recent article in Nature, further explaining the mechanism for this emerging resistance, reinforced the importance of diversifying your antiviral stockpiles in order to help protect the broadest number of employees.” P.R.E.P. includes two purchasing options to help employers enact their antiviral stockpiling
programs.
The RELENZA Preferred Pricing option offers a discounted price to reduce the burden of
upfront expense s and guarantees the opportunity to rep urchase RELENZA at a set discounted
price. In addition, the RELENZA Preferred Pricing option includes free storage. As companies
prepare for potential emergencies, such as an influenza pandemic, this plan ensures employer s
will have access to treatment.
The second choice is the RELENZA Reservation option which reduces the need for large
upfront expenditures and locks in a future purchase price for RELENZA. There is an annual f ee
of $6 per unit to reserve and maintain the reservation during the life of the c ontract. Customers
can secure c ontract terms for up to 10 years and may cancel at any time with no additional cost.
Upon request from customers or i n the event of a phase four pandemic alert (human -to-human
transmission as declared by the World Health Org anization), each business enrolled in the
Reservation option would be able to purchase their reserved RELENZA units.
HHS has developed pandemicflu.gov to be a resource for all of these entities when preparing for pandemic influenza. GSK’s Pandemic Planning Web site (www.PandemicPlan.gsk.com) offers a variety of tools,
materials and information to help organizations with pandemic planning. The site includes links
to resources that can assist with storage of medicines, antiviral prescribing, and other
pandemic-related activities.
About Avian and Pandemic Flu
Pandemic flu is a type of infl uenza. Influenza pandemics have occurred three times in the past
century – in 1918-1919, 1957-58, and 1968 -69. H5N1 is a subtype of avian flu that some
experts believe could lead to a global pandemic.
GSK has been working on a pandemic flu vaccine since 1998, long before bird flu became
headline news. Recently, GSK has invested over $2 billion in facilities and new technology to
more effectively combat influenza throu gh vaccine and to develop governmental stockpiles of its
antiviral Relenza. GSK has active clinical trial programs underway for several H5N1 vaccines.
About Relenza®
RELENZA is an inhaled antiviral delivered through a device called a Diskhaler® to the su rface
of the upper respiratory tract. RELENZA is indicated for treatment in patients 7 years of age
and older and for prophylaxis in patients 5 years of age and older with influenza A and B. H5N1
– a subtype of the avian flu – is an influenza type A viru s. In-vitro and animal modeling data
show activity for RELENZA against H5N1 avian flu. Additionally, RELENZA has retained in -vitro
activity to influenza viral mutations that have become resistant to another neurami nidase
antiviral agent. The efficacy and safety of RELENZA for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza
due to H5N1 or other potential pandemic strains have not been established. Clinical efficacy
can not be concluded from in -vitro data. There have been no clinical trials completed to date
studying efficacy of RELENZA in avian flu. RELENZA is not recommended for people who
have underlying airways diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Some patients have had bronchospasm (wheezing) or serious breathing problems when th ey
used RELENZA. Safety and efficacy have not been demonstrated in patients with high -risk
underlying medical conditions. Pati ents should be instructed in the use o f the delivery system.
Common adverse events include headaches, diarrhea, sinusitis, dizz iness, and fever and/or
chills. For more information on RELENZA, visit: www.relenza.com .

GlaxoSmithKline: A Leader in Flu
GlaxoSmithKline has an active research and development program targeted at both seaso nal
and pandemic flu and has recently invested more than $2 billion to expand capacity for
manufacturing its flu vaccines FLUARIX ® [Influenza Virus Vaccine] and FLULAVAL TM [Influenza
Virus Vaccine] and its antiviral flu medication RELENZA. GlaxoSmithKline – one of the worl d’s
leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving
the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For
company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at www.gsk.com.
Enquiries:
Cautionary statement regarding forward -looking statements
Under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
GSK cautions investors that any forward -looking statements or projections made by GSK,
including t hose made in this announcement, are subject t o risks and uncertainties that may
cause actual results to differ materiall y from those projected. Factors that may affect GSK' s
operations are described under 'Risk Factors' in t he 'Business Review' in the company' s
Annual Report on Form 20 -F for 2007.

Source: https://businesscontinuityplannersassociation.wildapricot.org/Resources/Documents/Relenza_Purchasing_Options_PR_FINAL_9_2_08_1030_AM.pdf