Vaccines

06 October 2009, London, UK -- GSK is committed to supporting governments and health authorities around the world respond to the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza strain.

The company today provided an update on orders received for its pandemic (H1N1) adjuvanted vaccine.

On the 4th August, GSK confirmed that it had contracts in place to supply 291 million doses of the vaccine and had a variety of agreements in place with the US Government to supply pandemic products worth $250 million.

Since that date, 22 government orders have been agreed to supply a further 149 million doses of the vaccine. This now brings the total number of doses ordered for GSK’s pandemic vaccines to 440 million. Discussions continue with governments for further supplies.    » read more »

27 million doses shipped to US market by Novartis - providing more seasonal flu vaccine earlier than in any previous year

Basel, October 6, 2009 - Novartis announced today that the company has completed its entire shipment of seasonal influenza vaccine to the United States for the 2009/2010 season. As previously anticipated, the company delivered 27 million doses of Fluvirin® influenza virus vaccine, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Novartis completed this season's shipment earlier than in previous years, in anticipation of demand for earlier vaccination with seasonal influenza vaccine created by the current global A(H1N1) influenza pandemic.    » read more »

Announces California Received First Shipment of H1N1 Vaccine

10/05/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued Executive Order S-22-09 (EO) to support and facilitate California’s aggressive approach to addressing the spread of the H1N1 flu virus also known as the swine flu.

The Governor’s EO ensures the state has the flexibility to respond to a potential flu crisis by renewing the ability for departments to cut through contracting red tape to obtain goods and services to fight the spread of the H1N1 virus. With the EO, the state will be able to acquire services faster such as medical staff for state facilities and transportation of H1N1 vaccine and goods such as hand sanitizer and paper masks.    » read more »

Governor, public health officials take part in administration’s statewide flu summit

WORCESTER – September 30, 2009 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced that the state has placed its first order for H1N1 vaccine with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Due to their vital public health role, the initial small shipment, set to arrive next week, will be used for health care workers only.

Additional vaccine shipments will arrive weekly through the end of the flu season and, in about six to eight weeks, the Commonwealth will have enough vaccine in the state to make available to the general public.    » read more »

September 30, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today renewed a Proclamation of Civil Emergency Due to a Highly Infectious Agent, which was originally signed on Sept. 1. The proclamation enables the State to continue to better respond to the potential dangers of H1N1 flu and to facilitate a statewide vaccination campaign.

“Continued vigilance is necessary as we address the seasonal and H1N1 flu,” said Governor Baldacci. “We have built a sustained and proactive outreach effort and need to retain the flexibility by which we can pursue a responsible and aggressive vaccination and public education campaign.”    » read more »

Variability Observed By Area, Race/Ethnicity, and Poverty Status; Survey provides first estimates of coverage at the state level and for selected local areas

September 17, 2009 -- Vaccine coverage rates for the nation’s preteens and teens are increasing, but nationally, rates remain low for the vaccines specifically recommended for preteens, according to 2008 estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- Today, President Obama announced the United States will continue to act aggressively to stop the global spread of the pandemic 2009-H1N1 influenza virus and is prepared to make 10 percent of its H1N1 vaccine supply available to other countries through the World Health Organization (WHO).

In recognition that diseases know no borders and that the health of the American people is inseparable from the health of people around the world, the United States is taking this action in concert with Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.    » read more »

First results achieved with A(H1N1) wild type strain shows significant time savings of cell-based production over egg-based manufacturing approach confirming its value in pandemic situations.

Basel, June 12 2009 - Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations.

Cell-based manufacturing technology[1] allows vaccine production to be initiated once a pandemic virus strain is identified without the need to adapt the virus strain to grow in eggs, as with traditional vaccine technologies. This advance has cut weeks off the time required to begin vaccine production.    » read more »

June 0, 2009, London UK -- GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to form a new Joint Venture with Shenzhen Neptunus Interlong Bio-Technique Co. Ltd (Shenzhen Neptunus) focused on developing and manufacturing influenza vaccines for the Chinese market.    » read more »

Opens access to Asia and Africa – potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives

June 5, 2009 -- London UK -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has awarded global prequalification to GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals’ vaccine against rotavirus, Rotarix™.Additionally, the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) also recommended that rotavirus vaccination be included in all national immunisation programmes. Together, these WHO decisions open the door to making rotavirus vaccines available to children worldwide.    » read more »

Company to take first steps toward large-scale production

Lyon, France and Swiftwater, Pa - May 27, 2009 - Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today it has received the new influenza A(H1N1) seed virus, enabling the world’s leading manufacturer of influenza vaccines to begin the production process for an A(H1N1) vaccine.

The emergence of a new A(H1N1) virus strain recently led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Level 5 pandemic alert, following human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region.    » read more »

WHO Pre-qualification Will Help to Facilitate Expanded Global Access and Implementation of HPV Vaccination Programs

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., May 26, 2009 - GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant], Merck's cervical cancer vaccine, has been awarded World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualification. GARDASIL is the first cervical cancer vaccine to receive WHO pre-qualification.

WHO pre-qualification means that GARDASIL is now eligible for procurement by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other United Nations (UN) agencies including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), for use in national immunization programs.    » read more »

Takeda will become the exclusive partner for Vaxem-Hib in Japan and pay Novartis 100 million Yen and milestone and royalty payments.

Basel, May 26, 2009 - Novartis announced today that it has entered an agreement with the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in Japan for the distribution of the Novartis Vaxem-Hib® vaccine for the prevention of infection caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib).

Through this agreement, Novartis will manufacture the vaccine and supply it to Takeda, which will obtain exclusive rights to license, market and distribute the vaccine in Japan.    » read more »

Initial U.S. order for bulk vaccine valued at $190 million

Swiftwater, Pa. and Lyon, France – May 25, 2009 - Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today it has received the first of what is expected to be a series of orders from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to commence production of a vaccine to help protect against the new influenza A(H1N1) virus.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the department will take important steps necessary to prepare for potential commercial-scale production of a candidate vaccine for the novel Influenza A ( H1N1). The Secretary is directing approximately $1 billion in existing funds that will be used for clinical studies that will take place over the summer and for commercial-scale production of two potential vaccine ingredients for the pre-pandemic influenza stockpile.    » read more »