Eye of the beholder

Novartis AG says its Menveo quadrivalent meningitis vaccine showed a superior immune response in a head-to-head study vs. Menactra from sanofi-aventis Group. But the French pharma says it's impossible to discern a meaningful difference because the study was designed to show non-inferiority.

FDA approved Menactra in 2005 to protect against meningococcal disease in adolescents and adults aged 11-55 years. Last year, the label was expanded to include children ages 2-10. The vaccine posted 2007 net sales of E415 million ($642.5 million)...