Glaxo files meningitis vaccine for use in Africa

Globorix is designed to treat diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitides serogroups A and C. Globorix will only be sold and used in African meningitis belt countries, the Middle-East and Northern Africa and is unlikely to make the company any money.

This is the first combined conjugate meningococcal vaccine to become available to protect infants in Africa against the disease. The current meningitis control strategy relies on reactive mass immunization campaigns using polysaccharide vaccines which have significant drawbacks. Polysaccharide vaccines do not offer protection to infants and in older children and adults they only protect for 3-5 years, leaving them vulnerable to future epidemics. Polysaccharide vaccines also do not address endemic meningitis.

GlaxoSmithKline said the vaccine could be available in 2008 and has the potential to break the cycle of meningitis epidemics in Africa. The new vaccine has been designed to fit with the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) calendar of organized infant immunization campaigns in Africa.