Sanofi Pasteur to develop new stomach disease vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur has committed to the development of a new vaccine treatment for the potentially fatal bacterial stomach infection enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC).

The vaccines division of Sanofi-aventis will work together with the US Naval Medical Research Center, which is responsible for creating the potentially promising ETEC adhesin drug.

It is estimated that the condition is responsible for more than 400,000 childhood deaths in poorer nations annually, while it is also a leading cause of traveller’s diarrhoea.

Wayne Pisano, president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur, expressed hope that the research initiative will eventually lead to the full commercial launch of a vaccine product.

He said: “We believe that this vaccine has the potential to curtail the number and severity of food-borne illnesses due to ETEC.”

Last week, parent company Sanofi-aventis agreed a licensing deal with CureDM over a new diabetes treatment which could potentially help patients to regain pancreatic functions.