Abbott and Astellas to conduct CMV vaccine trial

Abbott has allied with Astellas to carry out a phase III clinical trial of a new vaccine for the prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in transplant patients.

The vaccine was originally developed by Vical Incorporated and is designed to combat the most common type of viral infection among transplant recipients, with CMV affecting half of all adults by age 40.

Abbott's RealTime CMV assay – which is performed on the Abbott m2000 System – will be used to monitor patients for CMV viral load in order to assess the vaccine's efficacy.

This is the fourth partnership with another leading pharmaceutical company that Abbott has announced in the last 12 months, following recent agreements with Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck Sharpe and Dohme.

John Coulter, head of Abbott's molecular diagnostics business, said: "Our agreement with Astellas gives us an opportunity to collaborate with another leader in the healthcare industry to better monitor patients to ensure proper treatment."

Earlier this month, the company was granted European regulatory approval for its drug Humira to be used in an expanded Crohn's disease indication.