Merck and Sanofi Pasteur Initiate Phase III Study in the United States of Pediatric Combination Vaccine to Help Prevent Six Infectious Diseases

Merck MRK and Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group SNY, announced today the initiation of a Phase III clinical program to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an investigational pediatric hexavalent combination vaccine1. This combination vaccine is designed to help protect against six potentially serious diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, poli, invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B.