Pengpai News reporter Li Xiaoxiao
On November 18, Paris time, the Sanofi Pasteur recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine was approved by the European Commission for marketing and was launched in 27 EU member states, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (a total of 31 countries), and is used for influenza prevention in adults aged 18 and above.
This vaccine is the world's first and currently the only approved recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine, which was previously approved in the United States.
EU approved Sanofi Pasteur's recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine
According to Sanofi Pasteur, unlike influenza vaccine produced in traditional chicken embryos, the recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine can avoid the risk of decreased vaccine strain matching and reduced vaccine effectiveness caused by adaptive mutations in the production process, so as to ensure accurate gene matching with the influenza vaccine production strain recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) every year.
In addition, the recombinant tetravalent influenza vaccine contains three times the antigen dose. Compared with the standard dose of tetravalent influenza vaccine, in adults aged 50 and above, the recombinant tetravalent influenza vaccine can further reduce the risk of influenza by 30%.
This EU approval is based on data from two phase III randomized controlled trials. The results confirm the safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of the new generation of recombinant tetravalent influenza vaccine, and more than 10,000 subjects were included.
It is worth mentioning that a study from Benjamin John Cowling, director of the Department of Epidemic and Statistics, School of Public Health, , University of Hong Kong, showed that: "By comparing the immunogenicity of recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine and standard quadrivalent influenza vaccine in the elderly population in Hong Kong, recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine can better improve antibody titers after vaccination than standard dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine, especially against the H3N2 subtype virus, its immunogenicity advantage is more obvious."
global influenza-related deaths range from 290,000 to 650,000 yuan each year, and influenza-related hospitalizations reach about 10 million. The latest data shows that within a week after influenza infection, the risk of acute myocardial infarction increases by up to 10 times and the risk of stroke increases by up to 8 times.
Especially in the context of the new crown epidemic, influenza prevention and control is more important. Experts such as Zeng Guang, including members of the high-level expert group of the National Health Commission, and former chief epidemiological expert of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, , Zeng Guang, , and others have repeatedly stated that special attention should be paid to and strengthened influenza prevention and control, and beware of possible superimposed attacks of "new crown + influenza".
Sanofi Pasteur provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccines worldwide every year, of which more than 200 million influenza vaccines are used. Sanofi Pasteur said that in order to cope with the pressure of the epidemic, during the 2020/2021 flu season, Sanofi Pasteur increased its global supply of influenza vaccines by 20%, with an unprecedented output of 250 million doses, and covers a wide portfolio of influenza vaccines, providing immune protection for all ages.
Regarding when will the recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine be introduced to China, Zhang Heping, general manager of Sanofi Pasteur China, said that at present, Sanofi Pasteur is maintaining close communication and cooperation with various agencies, striving to introduce the recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine as soon as possible, fulfill its firm commitment to promoting the development of innovative technologies for influenza vaccines, and strive to bring this new generation of global influenza vaccines to the Chinese people as soon as possible.
Editor in charge: Wang Jie
Proofreading: Xu Yijia
