Glaxo Tdap gets FDA approval for adults

GlaxoSmithKline said today that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its vaccine Boostrix for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough for adults.

The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine is approved for those age 10 to 64, which Glaxo said was the broadest age range for any Tdap vaccine.

Boostrix already had been approved as a booster for preteens and teens. Since 2005, more than 7.5 million doses of it have been distributed in the United States to protect adolescents from whooping cough.

London-based Glaxo has a large U.S. presence in Philadelphia and in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Company shares were poised to open this morning at $35.81 on the New York Stock Exchange.