GSK has Twinrix dosing approved

A dosing schedule formulated by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a hepatitis vaccination has been passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US.

The new ruling means that Twinrix can now be given to people through a course of three doses over three weeks followed by a later booster vaccination in 12 months’ time.

According to GSK, the compound is the only product of its kind in the US which prevents against the transmission of both the hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses.

“Twinrix’s new accelerated dosing schedule offers an option that could benefit individuals such as those preparing to travel internationally to high-risk areas,” commented Dr Bradley A Connor, a travel medicine expert and former president of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM).

He added that the new dosing regimen could also benefit people who go overseas to act as healthcare professionals in the event of a disaster.

GSK stated that testing conducted by the FDA on 250 volunteers found that people who received the accelerated dosing regimen had an immune protection response on a par with individuals who had been given separate hepatitis A and B vaccinations.

The ISTM aims to raise awareness about the benefits of preventive medicines in tackling the spread of tropical diseases and infections.