MedImmune's shares went up as much as 8% as it announced the preliminary data from a late-stage, or Phase 3, study of their flu vaccine, CAIV-T (cold adapted influenza vaccine, trivalent). In contrast to conventional injectable flu vaccine, CAIV-T is more effective in preventing the onset of flu.

Furthermore, CAIV-T is an improved version of the company's previous nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, in that:

1. unlike FluMist, CAIV-T is easier to store, requiring refrigeration instead of freezing

2. While FluMist is indicated for adults as well as children from 5 years old up, a study on infants and children six months through 71 months of age showed that CAIV-T is also more effective in comparison to the traditional injectable vaccine.

According to David M. Mott, president and chief executive officer of MedImmune:

"Our objective now is to complete our analyses and prepare the data for submission, for which we will request priority review designation, to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the second quarter of 2006. If approved by the FDA, we hope to have the opportunity to offer CAIV-T as an alternative to the injectable influenza vaccine beginning in the 2007 influenza season."

With a broader applicability and more convenient method of delivery, hopefully 2007 will see less cases of influenza, especially among infants and small children, an age bracket where flu is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality.

Read the summary of the preliminarydata from CAIV-T Phase 3 Trials here, or watch MedImmune's webcast here.