Australian launch for Sanofi Pasteur's Imojev, first single-dose vaccine against Japanese encephalitis

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) has launched its Imojev vaccine against Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Australia, noting that this is the first single dose vaccine against JE for adults in Australia.

For children, one dose of Imojev is recommended for primary immunization; the addition of a booster dose to extend the duration of protection is being assessed by Australian Health Authorities. Imojev vaccine is licensed in Australia for people from 12 months of age and older.

About 3 billion people in the Asia Pacific Region are at risk of JE, for which there is no specific treatment. In 1995 the first outbreak in Australia was identified in the islands of the Torres Strait. More recently outbreaks have also occurred in Northern Queensland. JE is the leading cause of childhood viral neurological infection and disability in Asia. JE is also a potential risk for travellers to endemic areas. Over 1.5 million Australians travel to JE endemic countries of the Asia Pacific region.