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ROTARIX VACCINE WINS EUROPEAN APPROVAL

February 28, 2006

The European Commission has approved GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Rotarix vaccine for the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children. The product is the first vaccine against rotavirus available in Europe, GSK has announced.

Rotavirus disease causes the hospitalization of 87,000 babies each year in Europe, according to the company. The disease is the leading recognized cause of viral, diarrhea-related illness among infants and young children. Rotarix has already been licensed in 33 countries, and 1.4 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed since its first launch in Mexico in 2005.