FDA OKs Merck vaccine for 4 childhood diseases

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Merck & Co. Inc. on Tuesday said U.S.
regulators have approved its combination vaccine to protect
children 12 months to 12 years of age against measles, mumps,
rubella and chickenpox.

The vaccine, called Proquad, which combines two established
Merck vaccines, is the first approved in the United States to
target all four diseases in a single shot, Merck said. It is
also approved for use as a second dose of measles, mumps and
rubella vaccine.

“The approval of Proquad makes it more likely that more
children can gain protection against these four diseases
because fewer shots can potentially mean better compliance,”
said Henry Shinefield, clinical professor of pediatrics and
dermatology at the University of California School of Medicine
at San Francisco and a Proquad clinical investigator.

Shares of Merck, which is currently battling a slew of
product-liability lawsuits over its withdrawn painkiller Vioxx,
were little-changed at $28.84 in early afternoon trading on the
New York Stock Exchange.