FDA Approves GSK’s MMR Vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on June 6, 2022 that FDA has approved its vaccine, Priorix, for the prevention of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) in individuals 12 months of age and older.

Priorix is currently licensed in more than 100 countries worldwide, including all European countries, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. More than 800 million doses have been distributed to date. MMR are acute and highly contagious viral diseases that can be life-threatening. More than 400,000 confirmed cases of measles occurred globally in 2019, which has reversed decades of progress toward measles elimination in many countries.

According to a recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, immunizations against MMR have dropped more than 10% in children. The CDC recommends that people get a MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella, with children receiving two doses of MMR vaccine, first at 12 through 15 months of age and second at four through six years of age.

“We’re proud to make Priorix available in the US for the first time, adding a choice for providers to help protect patients against these highly-contagious diseases and to further strengthen offerings in our pediatric vaccine portfolio,” said Judy Stewart, senior vice president and head of US vaccines, GSK, in a press release.

“Outbreaks of measles in recent years demonstrate how quickly diseases can return without widespread immunization,” added Temi Folaranmi, MD, vice president and vaccines therapeutic area head, GSK, in the release. “Missed vaccinations during the pandemic makes children even more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases like measles. Making Priorix available to patients in the US will ensure health care professionals have more than one option for this critical vaccine as they work to catch their patients up on recommended vaccinations.”

Source: GSK