April 2, 2007

First infant enrolled for RotaTeq® efficacy and safety trial in Asia

Investigators at the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) marked a milestone last week with enrollment of the first child in a clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of RotaTeq® for use in the region. The trial, supported by PATH and Merck & Co., Inc., is an important step toward rotavirus vaccine introduction in the developing world, where the burden of disease is greatest.

PATH’s Rotavirus Vaccine Program is working in partnership with Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, respectively, to evaluate the use of their rotavirus vaccines in impoverished populations in developing countries. In addition to the trial in Bangladesh, enrollment will begin later this year for studies of RotaTeq® in Mali, Ghana, Kenya, and Vietnam. Studies of GSK’s Rotarix® vaccine are ongoing in South Africa and Malawi. Results from these trials will be critical in enabling global and national policymakers to make evidence-based decisions about the introduction of rotavirus vaccines.

The PATH Rotavirus Vaccine Program is supported by the GAVI Alliance.