Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today to share with you GlaxoSmithKline's update on H1N1. I'd like to make two key points.
First, we are fortunate in Canada to be home to a world-class vaccine production facility in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, as it provides a domestic and secure supply of H1N1 vaccine. All vaccines supplied by GSK in Canada will be manufactured here at our facility in Quebec.
Second, as a result, GSK's H1N1 vaccine production is on schedule and will meet the timeline set out in our Government of Canada contract, and Canada will be one of the first countries in the world to secure enough pandemic vaccine to cover its entire population.
Canada will be one of the first countries in the world to have enough vaccine against the flu pandemic to immunize its entire population.
GSK is a long-standing partner with governments across Canada and around the world in delivering life-saving medicines and vaccines. Our presence here goes back more than one hundred years. We are a top 15 contributor to R and D, investing more than $156 million in 2008 alone. We have facilities in several provinces, and we employ more than 3,000 people across the country.
GSK is the largest bio-pharmaceutical employer in Canada and the only company in Canada with a full influenza portfolio of pandemic vaccine, pre-pandemic vaccine, seasonal vaccine, and antivirals.
GSK began planning for pandemic production as far back as the nineties. Today we're applying our extensive global knowledge--again, from years of research, innovation, and investment--to the development of a safe and effective H1N1 vaccine. Over the past four years, GSK has invested globally approximately $5 billion in developing technologies and in increasing the capacity at our manufacturing sites.
Since acquiring ID Biomedical in 2005, GSK continued investing here in Canada and it invested $200 million in the centre at Sainte-Foy to triple production capacity and almost double the filling capacity, and nearly $50 million at Laval for research and development for North America.
As Canadians, we're fortunate to be assured this domestic security of supply, which, as I said earlier, will come from GSK's Quebec facility. Let me assure you that we take this responsibility seriously. Dedicated people across our Canadian and global organizations are collaborating with the Canadian government to provide a safe and effective supply of H1N1 vaccine in Canada and around the world.
While our initial focus is on the Canadian population, GSK has also allocated 20% of production in Canada to developing countries, including an intended donation of 50 million doses to the WHO. GSK's dedicated pursuit of innovation in this area put us on the leading edge when the H1N1 virus emerged. An example is GSK's ASO3 adjuvant technology.
Adjuvants enhance protection against challenging pathogens like H1N1. An adjuvanted vaccine can help to protect against the risk of a virus changing during a pandemic. It is also possible to produce more doses of vaccine faster, which ensures that more people around the world get access, all key elements to a successful global pandemic response.
In short, influenza is our business and our expertise. GSK's H1N1 vaccine production is on schedule, and Canada will be one of the first countries in the world to secure enough pandemic vaccine to cover its entire population.
GSK has been working closely with industry experts and government since the WHO first identified in late April the pandemic potential of the H1N1 virus. We began H1N1 vaccine development in late May upon receipt of the seed strain from the WHO. Production of H1N1 began following completion of our seasonal vaccine, as per guidance issued by the WHO and SAGE. Since then, GSK has initiated clinical trials at more than 150 sites around the world. To date, more than 2,600 people have received GSK's H1N1 vaccine in global clinical trials.
Canada's program began this month. More than 2,000 Canadian volunteers will be vaccinated, including healthy adults, the elderly, and children, including infants.
The adjuvant system in our influenza vaccine has been tested in more than 40,000 people globally in pandemic and seasonal influenza programs. GSK strongly supports the WHO's call for post-marketing surveillance of the highest quality, and we are sharing information from safety and effectiveness studies with the appropriate regulatory authorities on a regular basis.
Now that regulatory approval is achieved, dissemination of the H1N1 vaccine to Canadians will require continued collaboration. GSK will continue to support governments, public health, and health care providers who will administer the vaccine to ensure the success of the largest mass vaccination program in our history. I'd like to acknowledge the challenging and excellent work done by all involved, including the planning by the Canadian government as far back as 2001.
In closing, I want to assure members that GSK has embraced the responsibility entrusted in it. We take it very seriously and are committed to delivering to Canadians through their governments.
Thank you. I welcome your questions.