Vaccine Makers to Join Forces on ‘Super Shot’ : Medicine: Two firms plan to develop a product that will protect children from many diseases with a single injection.

Two of the world’s top vaccine makers said Monday they plan to join forces to develop and market “super shot” combination vaccines to protect children from half a dozen or more diseases with a single injection.

The collaboration by Merck & Co. and Institut Merieux’s Connaught Laboratories Inc. unit could have profound public health and commercial implications, government officials and industry experts said.

Although single injections that include three or four vaccines are available, a “super shot” would significantly increase the number of combinations in one dose.

“It’s no fun being a pin cushion,” noted Dr. Samuel Katz, a specialist in pediatric immunization at Duke University who has no connection with either company. “We should be able to get much better compliance from parents if they know their kids will only get one shot instead of four or five.”

Added Dr. Chester Robinson, a policy analyst at the National Vaccine Program Office of the U.S. Public Health Service: “If we can combine vaccines, we can reduce the number of (doctor’s) visits required to fully immunize a child. That is an important goal for underdeveloped countries and even some parts of the U.S.,” such as the inner city areas recently hit by an epidemic of measles.

Merck and Connaught said they will be able to expedite the creation of super shots by pooling resources. Merck’s vaccines against hepatitis B and a type of influenza known as haemophilus B could be combined with Connaught’s polio and DTP--diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis--preparations.

“Since no one company can provide all the required antigens to produce new combination vaccines, collaboration will be essential,” said Connaught President and Chief Operating Officer David J. Williams.

He said the firms will invest “tens of millions” of dollars in the collaborative venture. Under a second provision of the agreement, Connaught, which has strong ties to pediatricians, will also promote Merck’s existing measles, mumps and rubella combination.

Although hailed by some public health experts, the joint venture by two of the nation’s top three vaccine makers will probably be scrutinized by antitrust officials, especially since policy-makers are concerned about the dwindling number of vaccine manufacturers in this country.

Staffers at the U. S. Federal Trade Commission were briefed on the deal by the companies last week, but spokesman Howard Shapiro said the commission “can neither confirm nor deny it has any matter under consideration.” Williams said the companies are confident that the transaction will pass regulatory muster.

Some observers viewed combination of pharmaceuticals giant Merck, which had vaccine sales of about $350 million last year, and Connaught, whose sales totaled $105 million, as an attempt to take on the leader in the vaccine industry, American Cyanamid’s Lederle-Praxis Biologicals unit.

Lederle, which has the broadest vaccine line but does not disclose its annual sales, already has a combination haemophilus B and DTP vaccine in clinical trials.

“With combinations clearly the wave of the future, both companies clearly needed to do something,” a Lederle spokesman said.