Intercell Supports Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination Recommendations For IXIARO

Intercell has announced that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to update its previous recommendations and include IXIARO, a new Japanese Encephalitis vaccine.

ACIP made significant changes to their previous Japanese Encephalitis recommendations, last updated in 1993. In addition to recognizing the recent licensure of IXIARO, the committee’s expanded recommendations urged clinicians to consider vaccinating travelers visiting endemic areas during the transmission season.

The panel also concluded that IXIARO has a lower risk of vaccine-associated adverse events, than older Japanese Encephalitis vaccines.

IXIARO received marketing approval from FDA on March 30, 2009, on the basis of studies that showed that the vaccine is highly immunogenic after only two doses. IXIARO has been shown to stimulate a long-lasting immune response and to be well tolerated. It is the only currently manufactured Japanese Encephalitis vaccine available in the US. The rights to market and distribute the vaccine to the private sector in the US are held by Novartis Vaccines, the company said.