Combination Vaccine Shows Good Results

An investigational drug from Glaxo-SmithKline that is a combination diphtheria/tetanus/inactive poliovirus (DTaPIPV) vaccine demonstrated a good immune response and safety profile, compared with the separately administered DTaP (Infanrix) and IPV (IPOL) vaccines. The study showed that the children aged 4 to 6 years who received the combination had an immunogenicity and safety profile comparable with children who received the separate vaccines.

The researchers found that the booster response was prevalent in at least 92.2% of children in the DTaP-IPV group and 92.6% of the Infanrix plus IPOL group. The most common adverse event was pain at the injection site, as seen in 57% of children in the DTaP-IPV group and 53% of children in the separately administered vaccine group. The most commonly reported solicited adverse event was drowsiness as seen in 19% of children in the DTaP-IPV group and 18% of children in the separately administered vaccine group. According to GlaxoSmithKline's Vice President of North American Vaccine Development Barbara Howe, MD, "We are pleased to be developing a new combination vaccine that, if approved, could offer one potential solution to the problem of increased number of injections during single doctor visits."