The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved British drug maker GSK’s combination vaccine to protect against meningococcal infection for use in people aged 10 through 25 years, the company said on Saturday.
Meningococcal infections, caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis, can lead to severe, sometimes deadly, bloodstream infections as well as severe swelling in the brain and spinal cord.
The vaccine, called Penmenvy, combines the immune response-generating components of two of the company’s approved vaccines, Bexsero and Menveo, to protect against the five most common strains of meningococcal bacteria, according to a GSK statement.
In 2023, there were 438 confirmed and probable cases of meningococcal disease reported in the United States, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases of meningococcal disease have increased sharply since 2021, now exceeding pre-pandemic levels in the US, according to the CDC.
“Having a combined vaccine which will offer these vaccines in one injection can simplify the vaccination, which can help improve vaccination rate,” said Patty Sabey, a paediatrician with Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.
