(Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer’s vaccine Penbraya, making it the first shot to protect against five groups of a deadly bacteria that can cause meningitis and blood poisoning, the company said on Friday.
Meningococcal diseases are rare bacterial infections that commonly affect the brain, spinal cord and bloodstream, and can be deadly in a matter of hours.
The pentavalent vaccine protects against five meningococcal bacteria groups – A, B, C, W and Y – which are known to commonly cause the disease.
Pfizer currently sells two vaccines to protect against the disease, with Trumenba targeting the B group and Nimenrix protecting against the other four bacteria groups.
Penbraya is approved for use in individuals 10 through 25 years of age and is administered as a two-dose series given six months apart.
After the FDA approval, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisers are scheduled to meet on Oct. 25 to discuss use of the vaccine, the company said.
(Reporting by Leroy Leo, Khushi Mandowara and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
