WHO prequalifies meningitis conjugate vaccine

The first conjugate vaccine to protect against the five predominant causes of meningococcal meningitis in Africa, has been prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

MenFive^® has been developed through a 13-year collaboration between the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (SIIPL) and PATH, with funding from the UK government. It is the only vaccine that prevents meningitis caused by meningococcal group X. This means it could potentially be used in other world regions. Overall, it protects against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, Y, and X. The conjugate vaccine is designed to eliminate annual meningitis outbreaks and epidemics in the African meningitis belt.

This news builds on the success of the MenAfriVac^® vaccine, which eliminated serogroup A meningococcal meningitis outbreaks from the meningitis belt after being introduced in 2010.

WHO’s prequalification was supported by extensive clinical studies in The Gambia, India, and Mali that demonstrated a high level of safety and immunogenicity. This prequalification enables the conjugate vaccine to be secured by UN agencies and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance.

“[We] now have the potential to finally end all meningococcal meningitis epidemics in Africa, once and for all,” stated Dr Nanthalile Mugala, PATH Africa Region Chief.

A promising conjugate vaccine for meningitis

As the first conjugate vaccine to safeguard against the five predominant causes of meningococcal meningitis, MenFive will be available at an “extremely affordable price” according to Dr Rajeev Dhere, Executive Director of SIIPL.  

Polysaccharide vaccines have traditionally been used in response to African meningitis epidemics. However, they only provide short-term protection. They do not promote herd immunity and are not generally effective in infants and children younger than two years old. On the other hand, conjugate vaccines like MenFive provide better, longer lasting protection against meningococcal disease.

Multivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines effective against serogroup A, C, W, and Y have been available on globally for decades. Yet these products are not affordable for the 26 countries in the African meningitis belt to include in their meningitis prevention strategies.

Critically, when available, the conjugate vaccine “will save thousands of lives every year” stated Dr Bill Hausdorff, Director of PATH’s meningitis vaccine development projects.

Therefore, having access to this vaccine will “move us closer to defeating meningitis by 2030″ noted the UK’s International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell.