Rotavirus vaccine AVANT/GlaxoSmithKline.

AVANT Immunotherapeutics (formerly Virus Research Institute) and GlaxoSmithKline are developing a live oral rotavirus vaccine with potential to elicit a broadly-protective immune response against the most prevalent strains of rotavirus. Following successful completion of a phase II clinical efficacy trial in June 1999, SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) assumed responsibility for all subsequent clinical and other development activities [328635], [333677]. Following a licensing agreement, the vaccine was refined and renamed RIX-4414 [371713]. In May 2000, AVANT reported the results of a second-year surveillance extension of the phase II study. The results suggested that AVANT's two-dose oral rotavirus vaccine should be helpful in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis (RGE) disease in young children for at least two years following administration [365202]. In March 2000, SmithKline Beecham reported that it had initiated phase I/II bridging studies in Europe and the company planned to start phase III safety and efficacy studies in 2001 after review with the health authorities [358963]. In October 2000, Dain Rauscher Wessels stated that an estimated market penetration of 30 to 40% suggested potential sales in excess of US $500 million pa. As a result, the analysts also estimated that incremental revenues to AVANT could be over US $50 million pa [411122].