Crucell's Quinvaxem gets WHO prequalification

Dutch biotechnology firm Crucell NV says that Quinvaxem, its fully-liquid pentavalent vaccine against five important childhood diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b, has been designated as prequalified by the World Health Organization.

The company explained that the award follows the product's licensure by the South Korean Food and Drug Administration earlier this year (Marketletter April 3), and enables the firm to begin supplying the agent to supranational purchasing organizations for use in, for example, mass vaccination programs in developing countries.

Crucell said that it developed the vaccine in partnership with USA-based Chiron, which has since been purchased by Swiss major Novartis, before adding that, since it began producing Quinvaxem as soon as it was approved by the SFDA, it was in a position to offer the product to organizations like UNICEF and PAHO now that it has been prequalified by the WHO.