FDA approves Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine.- Seqirus/CSL

Seqirus announced that the FDA has approved the first adjuvanted quadrivalent influenza vaccine, Fluad Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine, Adjuvanted), to help protect adults 65 years and older against seasonal influenza. "Adults 65 years and older are at high risk for influenza-related complications each season and it is important to have influenza vaccines to help protect this vulnerable population," said Anjana Narain, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Seqirus. "As part of our leading role on the front line of influenza prevention, we are pleased to offer Fluad Quadrivalent as another seasonal vaccine option for healthcare providers and their patients in the fight against influenza." In the U.S., influenza impacts adults 65 years and older with higher hospitalization and death rates compared to young, healthy adults. During the 2017/18 influenza season, 70 percent of influenza-related hospitalizations and 90 percent of influenza-related deaths occurred in this age group. Influenza vaccine effectiveness also tends to be lower in this population due to age-related immune decline, which reduces the body's ability to produce a sufficient, protective immune response to the vaccine. Fluad Quadrivalent (aQIV) utilizes the same MF59 adjuvant technology as Fluad (aTIV), designed to create a strong, broad and durable immune response. Fluad Quadrivalent includes an additional strain to Fluad, which has an tensive clinical legacy, with 114+ million doses distributed and licensure in 29 countries since it was first approved in 1997. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), everyone who is six months and older should receive an annual flu shot, but it is particularly important for those 65 years and older who are at risk of developing serious complications from influenza. Fluad Quadrivalent and Fluad are the first-and-only adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccines approved in the U.S. for adults 65 years and older.