Baxter reports positive results from influenza vaccine trial

Baxter has published results from a new clinical trial of its seasonal influenza candidate vaccine Preflucel which demonstrates the treatment’s efficacy.

Findings from the phase III study, which involved more than 7,000 patients, showed that the treatment offered a 78 per cent protection rate against culture-confirmed influenza and a 71 per cent rate against all strains.

It also established that the drug’s safety profile is comparable to those licensed egg-derived seasonal influenza vaccines.

Dr Hartmut Ehrlich, vice president of global research and development for Baxter’s bioscience business, expressed satisfaction with the potential of the drug.

He said: “This is a landmark study assessing the efficacy of a cell culture-based, non-adjuvanted and preservative-free vaccine in the prevention of seasonal influenza.”

Earlier this month, the pharmaceutical company announced that it has agreed to purchase the orthobiologics firm ApaTech, a move which will strengthen the company’s presence in the synthetic bone repair materials sector.