AstraZeneca nasal spray flu vaccine approved in EU

AstraZeneca has received approval for the European release of its new nasally-administered live attenuated influenza vaccine for children.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for the new drug Fluenz based on the positive recommendation of the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in October 2010.

This backing was given on the basis of a review of data from 73 global clinical studies involving more than 141,000 patients, showing the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of the treatment.

Fluenz is now set to be introduced in selected European markets in time for the 2012-13 influenza season.

Dr Alex Zukiwski, executive vice-president and chief medical officer of AstraZeneca's biologics unit MedImmune, said: "We are delighted that Fluenz has received regulatory approval in Europe since influenza creates a significant medical and economic burden there and throughout the world."

Last week, the company published its financial results for 2010, hailing the resilience of its business in the last 12 months despite difficult trading conditions.