GSK's Q-Pan H5N1 Vaccine Receives FDA Nod

The US Food and Drug Administration has finally approved GlaxoSmithKline’s Q-Pan H5N1 vaccine for treating H5N1 avian flu.

The vaccine had received a unanimous nod from the FDA's vaccine advisory board but the agency revealed it will not be approving the vaccine at that time after GSK reported a technical hitch.

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The FDA revealed that the vaccine is the first to make use of an adjuvant and added that it will not be available for commercial use but will be stockpiled in case of a human H5N1 flu pandemic.

“This vaccine could be used in the event that the H5N1 avian influenza virus develops the capability to spread efficiently from human to human. Vaccines are critical to protecting public health by helping to counter the transmission of influenza disease during a pandemic”, Karen Midthun, the director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said.

Source-Medindia

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