Novartis Gets US Approval for Meningitis Vaccine

It was said Monday that Novartis, the Swiss drug maker, has had its meningitis vaccine, Mevneo, approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration for the use in adults as well as teenagers.

Meningitis is the condition that causes swelling around the brain area. Sometimes it can be so severe that it results in death in children, frail people or elderly. Experts estimate nearly 500,000 people around the world are infected with Meningitis each year, with around 50,000 dying with complications.

Menveo is a type of vaccine that fights against four types of common bacterial meningitis, which affects between 1,000 and 2,000 people in the U.S. every year. The U.S regulator has approved Menveo drug for people between the ages of 11 and 55. It is believed that this vaccine can be given to children as young as two but needs to be studied further to be confirmed. The drug company will be turning in licensures to have Menveo available by 2011 for younger children.

It has been calculated that Menveo will bring in over a billion dollars in profits once approved for children. Novartis is now working on the drug’s approval for people who are suffering from multiple sclerosis.