Launch

Wyeth Launches New Pneumonia Vaccine Prevenar 13

Prevenar 13 covers serotypes 1 and 5 that are associated with complicated pneumonia

Handa and Dr Shah with Farah Khan

Wyeth, a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. in India, recently launched Prevenar 13, its advanced pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that protects infants and young children from pneumococcus, a bacteria that causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis.

"Prevenar 13, built on the scientific foundation of Prevenar, provides the broadest serotype coverage of any pneumococcal conjugate vaccine," said Kewal Handa, Managing Director, Wyeth. "It includes the seven serotypes in Prevenar plus six additional serotypes, which together represent the most prevalent invasive disease-causing strains in children."

Prevenar 13 covers serotypes 1 and 5 that are associated with complicated pneumonia. In addition, Prevenar 13 covers serotype 19A which has globally emerged as a leading cause of pneumococcal disease.

"Prevenar 13 covers approximately 75 per cent of disease-causing serotypes in India," said Dr Nitin Shah, consultant paediatrician at the PD Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. "Preventing this group of diseases is of utmost importance for two reasons — pneumococcal diseases are difficult to diagnose in the Indian context and, secondly, the bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics."

Film director and brand ambassador Farah Khan said she was pained to learn that over four lakh children in India died of pneumonia every year. "I am happy to learn that the new vaccine will provide increased protection from diseases that cause disabilities such as deafness, brain damage, seizures and death," she added.

"The approval for Prevenar 13 is based on a review of Phase III studies involving more than 7,000 infants and young children worldwide. The data from these trials support the safety and efficacy of Prevenar 13 for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants and young children. Clinical trial data showed that Prevenar 13 can be administered with all routine paediatric vaccines," said Handa.

Pneumococcal disease is a group of illnesses caused by the bacteria streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. Infants and children are at greatest risk for invasive pneumococcal diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. Since its launch in 2000, more than 300 million doses of Prevenar have been distributed worldwide. It is part of the national immunisation programme of more than 47 countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sought the inclusion of Prevenar in the National Immunisation Programmes of developing countries as a high priority especially where under five mortality is more than 50 per 1,000 live births or where more than 50,000 children die annually. In India the under five mortality is 69 per 1,000 live births and 410,000 children die annually just from pneumonia.

"Worldwide, more than two million children die from pneumonia every year. Only about half of children sick with pneumonia receive appropriate medical care and fewer than 20 percent of children with pneumonia receive the recommended treatment of antibiotics," added Handa.

EH News Bureau