Vaccines

The Texas A&M University System on Tuesday announced a partnership with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to create a $91 million influenza vaccine-manufacturing facility in Bryan-College Station that officials said will generate billions of dollars worth of expenditures per year and will create close to 7,000 jobs.

Gov. Rick Perry headlined the event and said the TAMUS influenza vaccine-manufacturing center will facilitate a rapid national vaccine response.

Pfizer Animal Health Global Poultry has launched a new, compact in ovo device aimed at vaccine manufacturers and research institutes.

MonoSol Rx, LLC ("MonoSol Rx"), the developer of PharmFilm drug delivery technology, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with BiondVax, an Israeli based pharmaceutical company, to develop an oral film formulation of BiondVax' universal flu vaccine, M-001, utilizing MonoSol Rx's PharmFilm delivery platform. There are significant advantages for this needle free delivery in vaccines, including ease of use, increased compliance and simplified distribution.   

PrescribeWellness today launched its "A Million More" Flu Shot Initiative with the goal of increasing the influenza vaccination rate by one million more Americans.

"The flu is dangerous, threatens lives and costs the American economy billions of dollars each year," said Al Babbington, CEO of PrescribeWellness. "The flu is responsible for approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 25,000 deaths in the United States each year, yet only 46 percent of the population currently gets flu shot immunizations."

The West Virginia Association of School Nurses (WVASN)has joined more than 30 state and national health organizations across the country in support of the Voices of Meningitis "Boost Our Rates!" initiative, to help educate parents about the importance of meningococcal vaccination for their preteens and teens. Since January 2012, 839 adolescents have been vaccinated against meningococcal infection at the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department.

GlaxoSmithKline announced today it has begun shipping the first lots of 2012-2013 FluLaval® (Influenza virus vaccine) and Fluarix (Influenza Virus Vaccine) to CDC distribution centers and U.S. healthcare providers. This follows approval of this season's GSK seasonal influenza vaccines by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Novavax, Inc. announced today that it has begun enrollment in a second Phase I clinical trial of its monovalent virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate to prevent potential pandemic disease due to A/H5N1 avian influenza viruses ("bird flu"). This randomized, observer-blind, dose-ranging, placebo-controlled trial is being conducted under the company's contract with the U.S.