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Menjugate, New Conjugate Vaccine Against Meningococcal Meningitis, Now Available To All Canadians TORONTO, ON -- June 12, 2001 -- Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. announced today that Menjugate™ the new conjugate vaccine against invasive meningococcal group C disease, is now available to all Canadians through physicians and pharmacies. This vaccine is being used by public health authorities in Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario in mass vaccination campaigns to combat outbreaks of meningococcal group C meningitis. Menjugate can be administered to individuals two months of age and older. This vaccine is produced using the latest technology which, compared to current non conjugated vaccines, provides a superior immune response and stimulates the immune memory, which could prolong a patient's immunity to meningococcal group C disease. Studies show that 98 percent of vaccinated infants developed high levels of protective antibodies providing greater protection against meningococcal group C disease, including meningitis. "This vaccine means that children as young as two months of age can now be protected against meningococcal group C meningitis. The previous generation of non conjugated meningococcal vaccines can only be used in individuals two years of age and older and the duration of protection is limited. Menjugate also stimulates the immune memory, which means people who are vaccinated with it could be protected from this life-threatening disease for a longer period of time," said Dr. Stanley Read, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children. On April 11, 2001, Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. and Chiron Corporation, the company that developed and manufactures Menjugate, concluded a distribution agreement for the vaccine in Canada. Merck Frosst is now the exclusive distributor of Menjugate in Canada and will support the distribution of the vaccine to private and public health sectors. In the year 2000, Menjugate was licensed in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Hungary. To date, several million doses have been distributed in these countries and the vaccine has proven to be well tolerated. On April 24th, 2001 Health Canada approved Menjugate under expedited review, following outbreaks of meningococcal group C meningitis. This past winter, numerous outbreaks of the disease were reported in Canada, particularly in Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Meningitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The three major bacteria that are responsible for 80 percent of all cases are: 1) Neisseria meningitidis (also called meningococcus) 2) Streptococcus pneumoniae (also called pneumococcus) and 3) Haemophilus influenzae type B Invasive infection with the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C can lead to meningitis and meningococcemia (blood poisoning). Meningococcal meningitis, which can be caused by multiple serogroups (A, B, C, Y and others), is associated with mortality. Of these strains, serogroup C accounted for approximately 29 percent (in 1998) to 57 percent (from January to April 20, 2001) of invasive meningococcal disease cases in Canada. Meningococcal meningitis outbreaks tend to be seasonal, with the highest incidence in the winter months. During the period between January 1, 2001 to April 20, 2001, there were 129 cases of invasive meningococcal disease reported in Canada. Of these, 57 percent are confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease serogroup C. During this same period, 13 deaths (10 percent) were reported due to invasive meningococcal disease, of which seveno the 13 deaths were due to serogroup C. Signs and symptoms of this potentially life-threatening infection include: fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, and a rash of small red spots, which subsequently develop into bruises or blood spots which may lead to tissue death. Of the patients who do recover from the disease, 20 percent will develop serious neurological complications, including permanent hearing loss. SOURCE: Merck Frosst Canada Ltd Related Link: Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version