| ■ EU Approves New Flu Vaccine | 07.06.20 |
| The European Union has approved a new flu vaccine called Optaflu, made by Swiss drug maker Novartis AG. The drug has also been approved in Iceland and Norway. Company officials say the use of proprietary cell culture technology to produce Optaflu represents a major advance in flu vaccine production, the Associated Press reported. The increased flexibility and reliability of the manufacturing process will help meet demand for seasonal vaccines, as well as vaccines that can be used in the event of a pandemic, according to Novartis. It's expected that Optaflu will be available in Austria and Germany for the next flu season and will be available in the other 25 EU countries by the 2008-09 flu season, the AP reported. Novartis said that it will probably apply next year for approval in the United States. |