Industry Watch [to 10 May 2014]
Selected media releases and other selected content from industry.

Pfizer Announces Positive Phase 2 Study Results for Investigational Meningococcal B Vaccine
Excerpt
May 09, 2014 NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced today the results from two Phase 2 studies of bivalent rLP2086, Pfizer’s recombinant vaccine candidate, currently under development for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B in 10 to 25 year olds. In both studies, bivalent rLP2086 was observed to generate bactericidal responses, a measurement of functional immune response, against diverse meningococcal serogroup B test strains following either two or three doses.1,2 Also, in the study evaluating co-administration of bivalent rLP2086 and a diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and inactivated polio vaccine (dTaP-IPV), no impact was observed on the immune response to the dTaP-IPV vaccine.1 The data were presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID 2014)…

Shantha’s Pentavalent Pediatric Vaccine prequalified by World Health Organization
Excerpt
May 5, 2014, LYON, France, May 5, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi , announced today that its pediatric pentavalent vaccine Shan5(TM), developed and manufactured by its affiliate Shantha Biotechnics in Hyderabad, India, has received prequalification status from the World Health Organization (WHO). This status is based on a review of a comprehensive set of data related to the process and the product characteristics, as well as on a positive recommendation of WHO’s auditors following a site inspection of Shantha’s manufacturing facilities. It qualifies Shan5(TM) vaccine for purchase by United Nations agencies, mainly UNICEF. Shan5(TM) prequalification will give more children around the world access to the latest high-quality, fully-liquid, 5-in-1 vaccine and help secure the supply of pentavalent combination vaccines in over 50 emerging and low-income countries…