COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Wyeth has reported the first marketing approval for a new version of its vaccine Prevnar, as the drug was cleared by regulators in Chile. Prevnar is the world’s best selling vaccine, with sales of about $2.7 billion in 2008. The original version of the drug blocks seven pneumococcal diseases. The version approved in Chile, which will be marketed under the name Prevenar 13 Valent, is intended to block a total of 13 illnesses. The approval covers children age 6 weeks to 5 years, and Wyeth said it will launch the drug later this year. The company has asked regulators in more than 50 countries to approve Prevnar 13, and the Food and Drug Administration is expected to complete a review by early November. Pneumococcal disease is a group of illnesses caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Wyeth said the diseases kills about a million children each year, making them the largest vaccine-preventable killer of children in the world.
