WHO Declares Flu Pandemic, First Vaccines Expected in the Fall

Drugmakers are preparing to produce a vaccine against influenza A (H1N1), according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Several large drugmakers, including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), AstraZeneca and Sanofi-Aventis, have been identified as producers of a vaccine. “We did get the seed strain, and we have already begun the process necessary to develop the new vaccine,” Jeff McLaughlin, a spokesman for GSK, said Thursday. “First doses are expected to be available in four to six months, subject to regulatory approval.”
Drug Industry Daily