Glaxo claims vaccine advance

GlaxoSmithKline has released data showing that a vaccine it is developing for H5N1 avian flu achieved a high immune response at a low dose. Interim analysis of a clinical trial found that more than 80% of subjects who received a 3.8-mg dose of active ingredient demonstrated a "strong" immune response. The vaccine includes a proprietary response-boosting adjuvant. CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier says GSK expects to make a regulatory filing for the vaccine "in the coming months." Sanofi Pasteur reported in May on a developmental vaccine that was effective in two-thirds of patients at a 30-mg dose but in only about 40% of patients at a 7.5-mg dose.