MW : Novartis swine flu vaccine progresses in U.K. test
TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Novartis AG, (NVS 46.04, +0.11, +0.24%) (CH:NOVN 49.02, 0.00, 0.00%) the Basel health-care giant, reported that a pilot test of its vaccine against A(H1N1), or swine flu, showed the drug "elicited a strong immune response and was well tolerated." The pilot test was run by the UK's University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester. The vaccine, which Novartis calls Celtura, was tested on 100 healthy volunteers ages 18 to 50. Novartis is conducting additional trials with larger numbers of subjects worldwide. "The study suggests that while two doses seem to provide better protection, one dose" of Celtura "may be sufficient to protect adults against the swine flu," said Andrin Oswald, chief executive of Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics.
