Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis reported on Thursday progress in clinical trials on a vaccine for swine flu saying one dose had led to successful immunisation in 80% of subjects.
Tests done on 100 healthy volunteers also revealed that 90% became immune to swine flu if they were given two doses.
Novartis’ vaccine for the pandemic A(H1N1) virus, as swine flu is technically known, would be called Celtura, the company said in a statement.
”The pilot trial results are encouraging,” said Andrin Oswald, the head of vaccines at the Basel-based drugmaker.
”The study suggests that while two doses seem to provide better protection, one dose of our … Celtura vaccine may be sufficient to protect adults against the swine flu,” Oswald said, according to the statement.
With limited supplies of swine flu vaccine expected to be ready in time for winter in the Northern Hemisphere, health officials have expressed some concern that the effective yield of the drug would be cut in half if people required two doses for immunisation.
The trial was run by the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester in Britain.
Novartis said additional pivotal clinical trials were already under way and would include more than 6 000 adults and children. — Sapa-dpa