Swine Flu
An Indian joint venture between Novavax and Cadila plans to make 10 million doses of their swine flu vaccine early next year. CPL is creating a new vaccine manufacturing center where it will produce Novavax's VLP vaccines. "We have applied for all the requisite permissions and are awaiting nod from the drug control department to carry on clinical trials for swine flu vaccine," said CPL Chairman I. A. Modi. "Simultaneously, we are preparing for the launch in January-February next year." Report
Mexico, home to the first big outbreak of swine flu, has ordered 10 million more doses of the H1N1 vaccine. Report
The first clinical trials to test whether the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine can safely elicit a protective immune response in pregnant women has just been launched, and a trial to conduct the same test in HIV-infected children and youth will begin mid-October. Release
Australia's CSL says it's about maxed out on its ability to make swine flu vaccine. Report
Vaccine Research
Sylvia Becker-Dreps, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has won a $507,000 grant from the NIH to study rotavirus vaccines in Nicaragua. "Nicaragua was one of the first developing world nations to start universal immunization of its children against rotavirus, so the lessons learned here could be important to other developing nations," Becker-Dreps said. Report
Novavax has won a $246,000 grant to continue research work on its vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus. Story
Vaccine Market
Sinovac Biotech has received an approval to distribute its Panflu H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccine in Hong Kong. Release
Officials in Sri Lanka put a rubella vaccination program on hold following the death of a recently inoculated 13-year-old girl. Story
The viral vaccines unit of Sigma-Aldrich has completed a $12 million expansion of its contract manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, CA. Report
Special Report: The top 15 Women in Pharma. Start slideshow ⇒