Vaccine Market
GlaxoSmithKline has received FDA approval for Rotarix, a vaccine to stop the leading cause of diarrhea. The approval opens the way for a direct competitor to Merck's RotaReq. Rotarix requires only two doses, versus Merck's three. Article
Indian physicians are calling on the Indian government to introduce a new pneumonia vaccine to prevent some of the 400,000 deaths the country sees each among children. Report
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said in a report that Merck's Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix vaccines are cost effective and should be available to girls. Report
Failed vaccine plants in India are being reconditioned and will reopen as drug testing laboratories. The vaccine operations were closed for failing to meet good manufacturing standards. Article
Vaccine Research
Researchers at Bavarian Nordic are touting new animal data that demonstrates their Imvamune vaccine can offer protection against smallpox even several days after exposure. "It opens up new and exciting smallpox preparedness possibilities," Bavarian Chief Executive Anders Hedegaard said in a statement. "With Imvamune we can offer a safer vaccine and a solid protection both before and after exposure. No other smallpox vaccine has shown to offer these important features." Report
VaxGen has cut all but a handful of workers in the wake of a failed merger attempt. The biotech company lost a crucial $877 million federal contract in 2006 for a new anthrax vaccine. Report
Iomai will get close a million dollars in U.S. government money to do preclinical work on a patch-based version of an anthrax vaccine. Report
A group of researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital are attempting to develop a vaccine against cytomegalovirus, a virus that can cause deafness, mental retardation and other ailments. Article