MVP reports on improved meningitis vaccine

The Meningitis Vaccine Project, a partnership between the World Health Organization and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, says that new data indicate that a meningitis vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India is more effective at providing protection from the serotype A strain of the disease than currently-marketed alternatives.

The conclusion is based on data from a Phase II trial in which the product was provided to children in African communities. The preliminary results indicate that treatment results in antibody levels that are around 20 times higher than those achieved by alternate vaccines. MVP said that it also blocks infection by all sub-strains of serotype A Neisseria meningitidis, thereby conferring cross-community protection, even in the unvaccinated, an effect known as herd immunity.

MVP said that it plans to begin a Phase II/III study that will assess the vaccine in those aged two to 29, at sites in Mali, the Gambia and at least one other country in the region. In addition, a separate Indian clinical study is planned.