Vaccine Research
NIH chief Francis Collins recently reviewed the long history of frutrations involved in trying to come up with a vaccine for HIV. With failure staring them in the face at every major turn, investigators are fundamentally reevaluating their approach. "I think it argues for the dichotomy of effect on acquisition vs the control of chronic viral infection. It is telling us something that perhaps we should have realized a long time ago - an immune response that protects against acquisition might be quite different from the immune response that actually controls chronic virus replication." Story
Austria's Intercell and Boehringer Ingelheim have struck a deal to collaborate on new animal vaccines. This is the first time Intercell will be striking out to develop an animal product. Story
Vaccine Market
The introduction of two rotavirus vaccines in recent years has led to sharp drops in the number of hospitalizations triggered by gastroenteritis. Investigators for the CDC tracked a 16 percent drop in 2007 and a whopping 45 percent plunge in 2008 following the introduction of Rotateq in 2006 and Rotarix in 2008. Story
The FDA found that stocks of Rotateq were contaminated by pig viruses, but didn't stop the sale of the vaccine. The viruses aren't known to cause diseases in humans. Report
Most of the children who get a shot of the meningitis C vaccine lose protection by their early teens, according to a new study which urges a booster shot to extend protection. Story
Crucell N.V. announced that UNICEF awarded it an additional $110 million to supply its pediatric vaccine Quinvaxem to the developing world. Report
H1N1
The Dutch government has joined the long line of customers canceling shipments of H1N1 flu vaccine. The Dutch cancelled three million of the nine million doses it had originally ordered from GlaxoSmithKline. Report
India's Zydus Cadila became the first vaccine manufacturer on the subcontinent to launch a new swine flu vaccine. Story
"What we have now is a whole new way of looking at things. . . . We really know what is going on and what is needed."