SANOFI PASTEUR PROVIDES ITALY WITH AVIAN FLU VACCINE STOCKPILE

France-based sanofi pasteur, the vaccine business unit of sanofi-aventis, has supplied the Italian Ministry of Health with a stockpile of pre-pandemic vaccine for the avian flu virus in concentrate form. Under the agreement, the company may also provide the country with pandemic vaccine in the event of a widespread flu outbreak.

If formulated at a concentration of 15 mcg of avian flu antigen per dose, the stock could produce up to 185,000 dosages of the vaccine. The acquisition of the stock comes after recent studies of the flu vaccine demonstrated a positive immune response in a significant number of trial volunteers.

In recent months, the company has also entered into a series of contracts with the U.S., French, and Australian governments to increase pandemic preparedness efforts and develop vaccine stockpiles.