MSD rotavirus vaccine reduces hospitalisations by 100%

Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) has announced a post-hoc analysis of data showing that Rotateq (rotavirus vaccine, live oral pentavalent) reduced hospitalisations and emergency department visits due to the G9P1A[8] rotavirus serotype by 100 per cent.

The firm reports that no patients administered with the vaccine to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants and children were admitted to hospital, while 14 cases were seen in patients administered with a placebo.

In total, the rotavirus efficacy and safety trial invovled 68,000 infants in what was one of the largest ever pre-licensure vaccine clinical trials.

David Matson, professor of paediatrics and director of the Graduate Programme in Public Health at Eastern Virginia Medical School, said: “Because serotype distribution has been shown to vary between geographical settings and from one rotavirus season to another, it is important to help protect infants and children from many of the common circulating serotypes of rotavirus.”

He added that the MSD has now updated its prescribing information to include the post-hoc analysis data on another circulating rotavirus serotype of epidemiologic and clinical importance.

Last month, GSK confirmed that data published in the Lancet showed that its rotavirus vaccine Rotarix provides sustained protection against common types of rotavirus.