Sanofi Pasteur launches 5-in-1 combination vaccine in China
New vaccine Pentaxim reduces number of infant injections from 12 to four
Vaccines company Sanofi Pasteur has launched Pentaxim, the first 5-in-1 combination vaccine in China, to immunise against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b.
Pentaxim (DTaP-IPV-Hib) vaccine was first marketed in 1997. To date, more than 100 million doses of Pentaxim have been distributed in more than 100 countries, and the vaccine has been included in the national immunisation programmes in 23 countries.
Pentaxim vaccine is the first acellular pertussis pentavalent vaccine in China against five deadly childhood diseases. It reduces the number of shots from twelve to four, and achieves the same level of protection as immunisation with single-antigen vaccines.
The launch of Pentaxim vaccine comes just 18 months after Sanofi Pasteur introduced the first and only Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine (IPV) to China. It also adds to a long list of innovative vaccines that Sanofi Pasteur has brought to the country, including the first rabies vaccine, the first influenza vaccine and the first Hib vaccine.
‘We are truly excited and proud to bring the first 5-in-1 combination vaccine to China, and we are greatly encouraged by the confidence and support of immunisation experts in China,’ said Sanofi ceo Christopher A. Viehbacher.
‘Over a century after Louis Pasteur invented the world’s first rabies vaccine, Sanofi Pasteur remains committed to its vision which is a world in which no one suffers or dies from a vaccine-preventable disease.’
In addition to fewer injections for infants and greater comfort for parents, the 5-in-1 (DTaP-IPV-Hib) combination vaccine ensures better compliance with the vaccination schedule. Fewer shots also mean time saved for parents and more efficiency at points of vaccination.
‘The launch of the first 5-in-1 combination vaccine supports the shared commitment of the Chinese government and the scientific community to enhance preventive healthcare,’ said Professor Shen Xuzhuang from Beijing Children’s Hospital. ‘Combination vaccines are clearly the future trend of vaccine development because of greater convenience, comfort and safety.’
