Pfizer slashes manufacturing staff; Celldex launches study of bladder cancer vax

Vaccine Market

As part of its global restructuring Pfizer plans to axe 400 jobs at its vaccine plant in Sanford, NC. That amounts to almost half of its manufacturing staff. Pfizer already announced deep R&D cuts in the area. Report

Late last week the FDA said that vaccines to protect children from rotavirus are safe, removing a recommendation to suspend use of Rotarix. Story

Vaccine Research

Needham, MA-based Celldex Therapeutics has launched a mid-stage trial of a new antibody-based bladder cancer vaccine. Researchers will enroll about 60 people and expect to see the data at the end of next year. Story

Fort Collins, CO-based Inviragen is launching its first human trial of a new dengue fever vaccine. "Initiating this first clinical study of DENVax is an important milestone for Inviragen," said CEO Dan Stinchcomb. "The transition of this vaccine from the bench to the clinic is the culmination of many years of work by Inviragen, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our international collaborators." Report

Researchers at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine say they're taking a new approach to developing a universal flu vaccine that can do away with the need for annual shots targeting specific strains. Release

In a new study researchers conclude that breast milk could reduce the quantity of inflammation-producing proteins released in infants following a vaccination. Story