Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The world’s biggest drugmaker is aiming to roll out the vaccine widely to kids aged between five and 12
Pfizer could have data for the company’s experimental vaccine against meningitis in children as young as five by the end of the year, says the chairman of the US pharmaceutical giant.
It’s been 18 months since Pfizer began trials of the vaccine, but it remains under review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Pfizer chairman and chief executive Ian Read told the BBC that he is “very confident” the company will succeed.
In some developing countries, children are already vaccinated against meningitis, but it remains a major problem in the developed world.
Speaking to the BBC World Service’s Nikkei Asian Review, Ian Read said the world’s biggest drugmaker has poured billions of dollars into research, including a large project which cost over $100m.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption India is one of the countries where millions of children suffer annually
The Merck Vaxgard which Pfizer is trying to copy is already approved in some countries, but it has never been tested extensively enough to assess its effectiveness.
Ian Read, who chairs the World Health Organisation’s advisory group on vaccine immunisation, said many countries were moving forward to vaccinate children aged five and up, including Singapore and South Africa.
“We’re in discussions with many countries and we’re convinced that we can be first out and get it approved in countries like New Zealand,” he added.
Meningitis causes infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, which can lead to inflammation and swelling. These symptoms include severe headaches, vomiting, loss of appetite, paralysis and confusion.
Despite the disease still being very common, effective vaccines are still a rarity for children and adults. Around 400,000 meningitis cases are reported worldwide each year, with 60,000 children under five dead and more than 100,000 others needing long-term care.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Scientists said Pfizer’s vaccine was likely to be more effective than Merck’s vaccine for adults and children
The Pfizer boss said his company has been working hard to produce the vaccine, which can be given without a needle, over the past 15 years.
“We are the world’s largest vaccine company and we have the top vaccine offering in the world. We believe we have a complete portfolio in vaccines, which also includes the next generation meningitis vaccine,” he told the World Service’s Nikkei Asian Review.
The new vaccine, which would cost “tens of millions of dollars”, may be ready by the end of the year, he added.
Professor Matt Johnson from Imperial College London said Pfizer’s drug, although it sounds promising, would be unlikely to be used on a commercial scale within the next 10 to 20 years.
“This is obviously a very exciting technology, but unless the product works that’s not going to translate in commercial terms any time soon.”
However, Professor Johnson added that the drug could have an important medical role in less wealthy countries where there is not enough vaccine currently available.
“There is not enough vaccine to protect children globally and there is only one effective vaccine given to children in countries where meningitis epidemics take place.
“The US alone only supplies about 20% of the global requirements.”
Pfizer declined to provide any further details of the new vaccine, including what characteristics and combination of proteins it is based on.
Some reports suggested it would contain an eosinophil protein, which is found in large numbers in the blood of people with immune deficiencies, such as children with HIV.
Prof Johnson said it would also be very difficult to track down the current meningitis vaccine, available in a range of non-developed countries, since it is not given by injection and in some cases is not allowed in schools.
Watch the full interview
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