New Flu Vaccine Boosts Supply for This Season
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved FluLaval, a new seasonal influenza vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline.
The approval boosts the country’s expected flu vaccine supply for this influenza season to about 115 million doses.
It joins four other FDAapproved seasonal flu vaccines.
FluLaval is for use in adults who are not allergic to eggs and chicken proteins.
FluLaval has a wholesale price of about $10 a dose.
It was licensed under the FDA’s accelerated approval program.
GlaxoSmithKline, which also makes flu vaccine Fluarix, added FluLaval to its vaccine portfolio when it acquired ID Biomedical Corp., a Quebec manufacturer, in December 2005.
The company expects to produce 25 million to 27 million flu vaccine doses this season, company spokeswoman Jennifer Armstrong said.
Other flu vaccine suppliers are: Sanofi Pasteur, which makes Fluzone; MedImmune Vaccines, which makes FluMist, a nasal spray vaccine; and Novartis Vaccine, which makes Fluvirin.
