Combined meningococcal conjugates with common carrier protein

摘要

Carrier-induced epitopic suppression is of particular concern where multiple conjugates with the same carrier protein are administered simultaneously. To avoid the suppression, the invention minimizes the amount of unconjugated carrier protein in a vaccine. The invention provides a composition for immunizing a patient against a disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis, wherein (1) the composition comprises conjugates for at least two of the four meningococcal serogroups A, C, W135 and Y, where at least two of the conjugates have a common carrier protein; and (2) the composition includes the common carrier in an unconjugated form at less than 10 μg/ml.

主权项

1. A composition for immunising a patient against a disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis, comprising at least two of: (a) a conjugate of (i) the capsular saccharide of serogroup A N. meningitidis and (ii) a carrier protein; (b) a conjugate of (i) the capsular saccharide of serogroup C N. meningitidis and (ii) a carrier protein; (c) a conjugate of (i) the capsular saccharide of serogroup W135 N. meningitidis and (ii) a carrier protein; (d) a conjugate of (i) the capsular saccharide of serogroup Y N. meningitidis and (ii) a carrier protein, characterised in that (1) at least two of said conjugates (a), (b), (c) and (d) use the same carrier protein, wherein said same carrier protein is a common carrier protein, and (2) the composition includes the common carrier protein in an unconjugated form, wherein the concentration of the unconjugated common carrier protein is >0.01 μg/ml but <2 μg/ml.