Baxter says data promising on pandemic flu vaccine
Source: Reuters
(Adds details, shares) NEW YORK, March 29 (Reuters) - Baxter International Inc. <BAX.N> said on Thursday that a study of its pandemic influenza vaccine produced promising results and it plans to confirm them in a late-stage trial. The Phase I/II study indicated that Baxter's H5N1 candidate vaccine is highly capable of producing an immune response at low doses, the company said. Results of a Phase III trial are scheduled to be available by the end of 2007, Baxter said. Baxter tested its experimental vaccine without additional agents, or adjuvants, which are often used in vaccines to boost immune responses. "Adjuvant can add considerable cost and may have a negative effect on tolerability," Hartmut Ehrlich, vice president of global research and development for Baxter's BioScience business, said in a statement. "These preliminary results suggest that the vaccine produces a highly immunogenic vaccine with a favorable safety profile without the need for an adjuvant to boost the immune response," Ehrlich added. The Phase III trial will evaluate the safety and immune response of the H5N1 vaccine candidate in healthy volunteers in Europe. Vaccinations will begin in the first half of this year, Baxter said. Baxter shares rose 36 cents to $53.12 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
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