Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10101

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Publication type: news

Routledge S.
GSK meningitis vaccine shows potential in phase II study
Pharmaceutical Business Review Online 2007 May 16
http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=8C4822A4-6A7E-4C30-8ED5-91561A934FA6

Full text:

GlaxoSmithKline has released promising data from its phase II study for its investigational vaccine developed to protect infants from three strains of bacteria that can cause meningitis.
The combination pediatric vaccine, currently in phase III studies, shows potential to protect children in the first year of life against Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C (MenC) and Y (MenY) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), GSK said.

“Infants 12 months of age and younger are at the greatest risk of having meningococcal infections,” said Jacqueline Miller, director of Clinical Research and Development and Medical Affairs for GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals.

“This investigational Hib-MenCY-TT vaccine was designed to be administered at the two-, four-, six-, and 12- or 15-month well child visits. If ultimately approved on this dosing schedule, it would not require the addition of shots to the current CDC-recommended pediatric immunization schedule.”

While the current CDC-recommended vaccination schedule calls for infants to be vaccinated against certain bacteria that cause meningitis such as Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae in the first year of life, there is currently no vaccine available to protect infants against any serogroup of Neisseria meningitidis.