Swine flu vaccine yields lower than expected

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) and Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) confirmed during 2Q09 conference calls yesterday that swine influenza A (H1N1) vaccine production yields have been lower than expected. Earlier this week, Marie-Paule Kieny, World Health Organization's director of the initiative for vaccine research, said the swine flu vaccine yields are 25-50% of normal yields for seasonal vaccines because the seed virus provided to manufacturers is producing unstable or low levels of hemagglutinin. The agency is working to generate better seed viruses that would produce higher yields. ...