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Menactra

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Menactra®
Meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y and W-135) Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine
FOR INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION

DRUG DESCRIPTION

Menactra®, Meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y and W-135) Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine, is a sterile, intramuscularly administered vaccine that contains Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A, C, Y and W-135 capsular polysaccharide antigens individually conjugated to diphtheria toxoid protein. N meningitidis A, C, Y and W-135 strains are cultured on Mueller Hinton agar1 and grown in Watson Scherp2 media. The polysaccharides are extracted from the N meningitidis cells and purified by centrifugation, detergent precipitation, alcohol precipitation, solvent extraction and diafiltration. To prepare the polysaccharides for conjugation, they are depolymerized, derivatized, and purified by diafiltration. Corynebacterium diphtheriae cultures are grown in a modified Mueller and Miller medium3 and detoxified with formaldehyde. The diphtheria toxoid protein is purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and diafiltration. The derivatized polysaccharides are covalently linked to diphtheria toxoid and purified by serial diafiltration. The four meningococcal components, present as individual serogroup- specific glycoconjugates, compose the final formulated vaccine. No preservative or adjuvant is added during manufacture. Potency of Menactra vaccine is determined by quantifying the amount of each polysaccharide antigen that is conjugated to diphtheria toxoid protein and the amount of unconjugated polysaccharide present.

Menactra vaccine is manufactured as a sterile, clear to slightly turbid liquid. Each 0.5 mL dose of vaccine is formulated in sodium phosphate buffered isotonic sodium chloride solution to contain 4 µg each of meningococcal A, C, Y, and W-135 polysaccharides conjugated to approximately 48 µg of diphtheria toxoid protein carrier.

REFERENCES

1. Mueller JH, et al. A Protein-Free Medium for Primary Isolation of the Gonococcus and Meningococcus. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1941;48:330-333.

2. Watson RG, et al. The specific hapten of group C (group IIα) meningococcus. I. Preparation and immunological behavior. J Immunol 1958;81:331-336.

3. Mueller JH, et al. Production of diphtheria toxin of high potency (100 Lf) on a reproducible medium. J Immunol 1941;40:21- 32.


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