| News item: Source BioSpectrum, Asia Edition | |||||||
| Singapore, Nov 4, 2010: Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi-aventis Group, has announced that its dengue vaccine is in final stage of clinical development. Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine, the world’s most clinically advanced dengue vaccine candidate entered its first phase III clinical study in Australia. This study is part of a global phase III clinical study program aimed at advancing the development of a novel vaccine for the prevention of dengue disease in children and adults. Currently, there is no specific treatment available for dengue fever, which is a threat to nearly three billion people and a public health priority in many countries of Latin America and Asia where epidemics occur. Phase III studies are the ultimate steps in the clinical development of a vaccine before it is submitted to regulatory authorities for evaluation for market authorization. Sanofi Pasteur’s candidate dengue vaccine is the first to reach phase III of clinical development. “To address the global health challenge represented by dengue fever, we are conducting an unprecedented dengue vaccine research and development program as well as a scale up of the vaccine production. We are now entering the final laps of a long run that Sanofi Pasteur started almost 20 years ago. If successful, we are committed to introducing the vaccine in countries where dengue is of highest public health priority,” said Mr Wayne Pisano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi Pasteur. The study in Australia is the first to use dengue vaccine doses produced with industrial scale processes. The study is aimed at demonstrating that production of the vaccine at industrial scale will meet consistency criteria required for market authorization by regulatory authorities. Details of the phase III study in Australia as well as results of already completed studies are presented at the 59th annual conference of ASTMH (American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene), held in Atlanta, US, on November 3-7, 2010. |
Indian government outlines policies on drug pricing to favor poorer patients, and increase clinical trials
The Indian government is looking to review the existing drug price control measures in order to make medicines more affordable in the country, and at increasing the number of clinical trials taking place in the country, reports The Pharma Letter's India correspondent. In a parallel move, the Health Ministry is also preparing a framework for public private partnership to tackle the menace of non-communicable diseases in the country, In a move that could potentially result in affordable Medicare and health security moving to a larger section of the population, the government is considering a rash of policy measures in favor of poor patients. Talks are also on in government circles to abolish clinical trials on proven drugs that have been approved and marketed for at least two years in the European Union, United States, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan. A draft proposal in this regard has been prepared by the Health Ministry. If instituted, it would reduce the time taken to introduce n...
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