GlaxoSmithKline medicine shown to reduce rotavirus gastroenteritis in babies

GlaxoSmithKline drug Rotarix recently displayed the ability to reduce the occurrence of rotavirus gastroenteritis in African infants within the first 12 months of their lives.

The research, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that the treatment prevented the disease in 61.2 per cent of the babies and provided broad protection against diverse circulating rotavirus strains.

Additionally, the therapy was shown to be well-tolerated, with the most common adverse events reported following vaccination being fatigue, fever, irritability and gastrointestinal disorders.

Thomas Breuer, head of global clinical research and development and chief medical officer of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, stated: “Rotavirus disease has caused more than five million deaths in infants and young children over the last decade. It is time to act to avoid these unnecessary deaths and hospitalisations from rotavirus gastroenteritis.”

In other GlaxoSmithKline news this week, the firm revealed that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a positive opinion for its refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia therapy Arzerra (ofatumumab).