Influvac is a subunit vaccine produced and marketed by Mylan. It contains inactivated purified surface fragments from the three different strains of the influenza virus that are selected and distributed by the World Health Organization, on the basis of their latest recommendations. Previously, it was produced and marketed by Abbott Laboratories In February 2010, Abbott acquired the vaccines subunit from Solvay Pharmaceuticals included in its $6.2 billion purchase and the subunit influenza vaccine — Influvac has been commercially available on the market since the early nineteen-eighties. With the acquisition of Solvay, Abbott retained access to the Eastern European, Middle Eastern & Latin American markets. Approximately $850 million of sales revenue from vaccines was reported by Solvay Pharmaceuticals in 2009. In February 2015, Mylan Laboratories completed the deal with Abbott to purchase Abbott's generic drugs business in developed markets, which includes Influvac.
Optaflu is a cell culture derived influenza vaccine manufactured by Novartis. On April 27, 2007 Novartis received a positive opinion supporting European Union approval of Optaflu. It is the first influenza vaccine made in a mammalian cell line, rather than chicken eggs. The plan was to manufacture the vaccine in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The United States government provided $500 million in construction costs and guaranteed vaccine purchases. Novartis' flu vaccine unit was sold to CSL Limited in 2014, and was placed under CSL subsidiary, bioCSL. bioCSL as marketing authorization holder decided to discontinue the usage of Optaflu brand in 2017 due to commercial reasons
produces the split-virusinfluenza vaccines Fluzone and Vaxigrip/VaxigripTetra. Sanofi also produces a recombinant influenza vaccine branded Flublok.
Fluzone
Fluzone is a brand of influenza vaccine distributed by Sanofi Pasteur. It is a split-virus vaccine that is produced by chemical disruption of the influenza virus, making it incapable of causing influenza.
Dosage and storage
Fluzone is typically administered in a single dose by intramuscular injection; an intradermal injection is also available. It is presented as a 0.25 ml syringe for pediatric use, as a 0.5 ml syringe for adults and children, as a 0.5 ml vial for adults and children, and as a 5 ml vial for adults and children. Fluzone must be refrigerated under temperatures from and is inactivated by freezing. Fluzone was initially approved in 1980 by the FDA.
A high-dose vaccine four times the strength of standard flu vaccine was approved by the FDA in 2009. This vaccine is intended for people 65 and over, who typically have weakened immune response due to normal aging. The vaccine produces a greater immune response than standard vaccine. According to the CDC, "a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that the high-dose vaccine was 24.2% more effective in preventing flu in adults 65 years of age and older relative to a standard-dose vaccine." CDC recommends the high-dose vaccine for people 65 and over but expresses no preference between it and standard vaccine. Further studies were underway as of 2014.
Vaxigrip/VaxigripTetra
The split-virion influenza vaccines made by Sanofi Pasteur in Europe are called Vaxigrip and VaxigripTetra. Vaxigrip provides immune responses to three influenza strains and VaxigripTetra adds another B strain. VaxigripTetra was approved in Europe in 2016 except for infants younger than three years old.
Flublok
Recombinant influenza vaccines are produced using recombinant virus technology. This method does not require an egg-grown vaccine virus and does not use chicken eggs in the production process. Sanofi's recombinant influenza vaccine is called Flublok.
