EC approves Fluenz Tetra vaccine for Influenza- AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca announced that the European Commission (EC) has on 6 December 2013 granted Marketing Authorisation to Fluenz Tetra. Fluenz Tetra is a nasally administered four-strain live attenuated influenza vaccine for the prevention of Influenza in children and adolescents from 24 months up to 18 years of age. The EC approval makes Fluenz Tetra the first and only intra-nasal four-strain influenza vaccine available in Europe.

Historically, seasonal flu vaccines have contained three strains of influenza: two influenza A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and one influenza B virus. Fluenz Tetra contains an additional influenza B strain. Over the past decade, influenza B strains accounted for approximately 25 percent of the influenza strains circulating in Europe.

In the US, Fluenz Tetra is marketed by MedImmune Specialty Care Division of AstraZeneca, under the trade name FluMist Quadrivalent (Influenza Vaccine Live, Intranasal). FluMist Quadrivalent was approved by the FDA on 29 February 2012.