Sanofi Pasteur reports positive Fluzone High-Dose trial data

Sanofi Pasteur has announced positive top-line results from a large-scale, multicentre efficacy trial of its Fluzone High-Dose vaccine product in people 65 years of age and older.

The study showed that the new version of the US-approved drug offered a superior clinical benefit in the prevention of influenza among this at-risk patient group than a standard Fluzone dosage.

Fluzone High-Dose vaccine was shown to be 24.2 percent more effective in preventing influenza, thus meeting the pre-specified primary objective of the study, while the strong safety performance of the product was also confirmed.

John Shiver, senior vice-president for research and development at Sanofi Pasteur, said: "Influenza vaccines have been shown to offer public health benefits in preventing influenza and its complications in all age groups; however, older adults still have the highest rates of influenza-related hospitalisation and death."

This comes after Sanofi Pasteur earlier this month launched Cdiffense, a new study assessing the potential efficacy of its new vaccine for C. difficile infections.