Sanofi Pasteur To Produce Novel Influenza A(H1N1) Vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur (Lyon, France), the vaccines division of the Sanofi-Aventis Group (Paris, France) has received an order from the French Ministry of Health to produce a vaccine against the influenza A(H1N1) virus.

The order from the French Ministry of Health provides for the initial supply of 28 million doses of the new A(H1N1) influenza virus vaccine in final presentation, and includes an option for an additional 28 million doses. Dosage requirements for the new vaccine are yet to be determined and will be based on clinical trials outcomes. Final formulation, filling, and distribution of the vaccine will be determined in the coming months, as the mass-production process will be ongoing. Sanofi Pasteur currently estimates it will have the first A(H1N1) vaccine doses ready for public health officials within four to six months, and availability for administration will be subject to regulatory approval. The vaccine will be manufactured in the Sanofi Pasteur production plant in Val de Reuil (France); the facility (as well as all other Sanofi Pasteur facilities for influenza vaccine production) has been designed and built to be able to switch from seasonal influenza vaccine production to pandemic influenza vaccine production.

The order was issued pursuant to an existing influenza pandemic vaccine supply agreement between Sanofi Pasteur and the French government that allows the vaccines for viruses identified by the World Heath Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) as being involved in a declared pandemic or having a pandemic potential; Sanofi Pasteur will remain in continuous communication with the WHO as well as health authorities around the world to help develop a tailored response to local public health needs.

Sanofi Pasteur provided more than 1.6 billion doses of vaccine in 2008, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines, and offers a broad range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases.

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Sanofi Pasteur
Sanofi-Aventis Group
World Heath Organization