teaser
A vaccine being developed by Novartis against four types of meningitis produces a better antibody response than a commonly used existing vaccine, data released today shows.
New phase III data for Menveo (MenACWY-CRM) show that the vaccine produced a greater immune response against meningococcal strains A, C, W-135 and Y in adolescents 11-18 years of age compared to Menactra (Menactra is a four strain meningitis vaccine, licensed in the USA and Canada, made by Sanofi Pasteur.)
Infection with any of these four vaccine-preventable serogroups (strains) can lead to bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord, or sepsis, a serious infection of the bloodstream.
Results of this head-to-head trial of Menveo compared to Menactra, show that adolescents who were immunised with Menveo generated higher levels of antibodies against all four serogroups.
Notably for the Meningitis Y strain, among adolescents with low levels of immunity at the time of vaccination, 81% of subjects receiving Menveo generated a protective immune response versus 54% with Menactra.
Menveo is an investigational quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine in Phase III clinical development by Novartis Vaccines. The data were presented at a late-breaker platform session on 5 May during the 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Joerg Reinhardt, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, said: “The patient need for vaccines for meningococcal disease remains substantial.
“We are quickly realising our goal of providing broad coverage from all serogroups of meningococcal disease across all age groups.”
Mr Reinhardt added: “Given the broad range of age groups this vaccine is expected to protect, Menveo could truly fulfill an unmet need in the meningitis vaccine market.”
