GSK gathers global experts to discuss role of vaccines in protecting people and the planet

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- ‘Palio’ meeting, held annually by GSK, to address the growing threat to human health from infectious disease and its links to nature loss and climate change

- Participants include Anthony Fauci (NIH), Muhammad Ali Pate (World Bank), Peter Dull (Gates Foundation), as well as CEPI, University of Oxford, PATH and Sabin Institute

GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) is convening leading experts in vaccines and sustainability at a scientific meeting on the theme ‘Vaccines for a sustainable planet’. 65 experts across immunology, vaccinology, epidemiology, and policy will gather on 7-8 July in Siena, Italy.

Latest scientific evidence has shown climate change, nature loss and human health are deeply interconnected. The threat of infectious disease is growing as data show environmental changes are exacerbating respiratory health issues, increasing the spread of diseases such as malaria, and fostering antimicrobial resistance. The health impacts of environmental change also disproportionately affect underserved groups, including people in low- and middle-income countries.

This evidence emphasises the importance of disease prevention in building health resilience through the use and equitable distribution of vaccines and environmental interventions.

To address these issues, plenary sessions and working group discussions at Palio 2022 will focus on:

- How can vaccines mitigate the effects of environmental change?

- Strategically developing vaccines to prevent human-animal disease transmission

- Prioritizing pathogens for AMR vaccine development

- The role of vaccines in protecting microbial diversity

- Ensuring equitable access to vaccines in the future: How can we do this?

- Maximizing the impact of vaccines on sustainable development goals

Speakers at this year’s event include Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH, and Muhammad Ali Pate, Global Director of Health, Population and Nutrition at the World Bank.

Rino Rappuoli, Head External R&D & Chief Vaccine Scientist, GSK, and initiator of the Palio meeting series, said:

With global health issues becoming increasingly severe as the pace of environmental change accelerates, disease prevention is becoming ever more important. Vaccines have a key role in responding to these threats. Palio is a much-needed opportunity for the scientific community to reflect on how we can maximise the impact of vaccines.

Eliora Ron, Professor of Microbiology, Tel-Aviv University, and President of IUMS (International Union of Microbiological Societies) said: “Vaccines have an important role in protecting people's health yet our understanding on their wider impact, such as reducing the spread and risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria, is still emerging. Palio 2022 highlights there is growing recognition of the interconnections between health, climate and nature, and the scientific community must use these moments to build knowledge and ultimately find solutions for global healthcare and sustainability challenges.”

Palio 2022 supports GSK’s purpose to get ahead of disease together and is part of GSK’s work to put health at the centre of action on climate and nature. GSK also has a long heritage of innovating for diseases that disproportionally affect low- and middle-income countries and making its vaccines and medicines affordable and available.

The Palio meeting series started in 2004 and is a high-level scientific exchange hosted annually by GSK at one of its R&D sites in Italy, Belgium or the USA. The meeting brings together leading scientific and health experts to address strategic questions around vaccines and global health. Previous meeting topics have included ‘Global partnerships for vaccination’, ‘Rethinking influenza’, ‘Prioritizing vaccines to fight antimicrobial resistance’ and ‘Planning a new era in vaccinology’.

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company. For further information please visit http://www.gsk.com/en-gb/company/

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2021, GSK’s Q1 Results for 2022 and any impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.