Intercell's JEV gets EU go-ahead

Austrian vaccine maker Intercell AG says that its Japanese encephalitis vaccine, currently in a Phase III assessment, has been granted Orphan Drug status by the European Commission. The decision follows a recommendation by the European Medicines Agency which reviewed the firm's application.

Intercell's chief executive, Gerd Zettlmeissl, said: "we are convinced that our modern cell culture-based vaccine will increase the market potential for vaccination of travellers against Japanese encephalitis virus," and added that the orphan designation allowed the firm to attain the maximum commercial benefit from sales of the product in the European Union.