Transgene Biotek Ltd has said that one of the projects under development at the company, a quadrivalent meningococcal meningitis vaccine, MemVac A, C, Y and W-135 has been cleared by the Institutional Ethical Committee (IEC) in USA on the completion of phase III, double-blind, randomised, multicentric trials in Africa.

The project has been developed with collaboration from JN-International Medical Corporation in USA. Unfortunately, the product launch has been delayed beyond the expected date due to differences with the USA partner on certain terms of collaboration agreement.

However the differences with JN International have now been cleared through a settlement agreement. Due to the nature of meningococcal infection, which causes high mortality and morbidity and being endemic in several countries in Africa posing threat of epidemics in those countries, it provides immense opportunity and high demand for the company's quadrivalent vaccine in those countries. Therefore, the management is making efforts to expedite the commercial launch of this vaccine. The management has already short listed few companies within and outside India, including those with whom negotiations were initiated earlier, possessing required capabilities and capacities for contract manufacturing of this vaccine.

Consequent to the settlement, the company gains by not sharing the revenues or profits generated out of the sales of the vaccine unlike the earlier terms of agreement having to share those equally with JNI International.