Submitted by Armen Hareyan on May 7th, 2008
Novartis' clinical trial of meningitis vaccine Menveo showed the drug successfully boosts immune system possibly becoming a treatment in the future.
Menveo has already shown to be effective and safe for 6 month infants in a previous trial. This phase III trial examined how the vaccine works for adolescents. The trial examined 2100 patients aged from 11 to 18 and showed that immune system produces all necessary antibiotics to fight meningitis within a month.
Menveo was successful in immunizing against four of the five most common causes of meningitis - serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y - showing promise to meningitis sufferers.
Novartis is planning to apply Menveo for approval later this year and hopes to have it approved later next year.
Meningitis symptoms are fever, neck pain and headaches. The disease can cause seizures, memory loss, brain damage and it can even kill a healthy individual in 48 hours only. Meningitis affects about from 1400 to 2800 people each year in US, and it mainly occurs among infants and adolescents. From 10 to 14% of all patients die from the disease.
Source:
eMaxHealth 