Due to their weakened immune system, contracting bacteria such as pneumococcus can cause otherwise stable sickle-cell sufferers to go into life-threatening sickling crisis. Thus a preventative lifeline is necessary to wade off opportunistic yet potentially dangerous infections. Sufferers and their carers would therefore be all too familiar with the tedium of life-long penicillin administration. It is from this background that news of a potential vaccine substitute for penicillin ought to be most welcome. Thus, when pharmaceutical giants, Wyeth Laboratories recently announced the end stage of the development of Prevenar, the Society took interest. Dr Mark Layton, our Medical Advisor accompanied by our secretary, attended the one day conference at Mottram Hall, near Manchester, thanks to Wyeth who sponsored their flight from London. February's UK Pneumococcus Forum focused on the epidemiology and management of pneumococcal infection, with the very absorbing developments of Prevenar, Novel about it is that, unlike the presently available polysaccharide (sugar) only vaccine, Prevenar, (the sugar-protein conjugate version) would appear to be effective in younger children and infants, short and long-term. Prevenar (copyright, Wyeth Ltd), already patented in the USA and Switzerland, is presently undergoing end-stage licensing in the UK. We are hoping to be able to have Wyeth address our planned Millennium Conference, so that Mark and co. can continue to x-ray, what we trust would be very exciting developments to our readership.
Meantime the Society would be very willing to direct enquiries to primary sources of information on Wyeth's Prevenar.
Dr Asa'ah Nkohkwo, Society Secretary