H1N1 Influenza Center

Novartis AG announced on Friday that it had produced its first batch of H1N1 vaccine. The production came weeks ahead of expectations, the Associated Press reported. The company intends to use the vaccine for preclinical studies but could also use some of it in early clinical trials.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that Baxter International has begun full-scale production of an H1N1 vaccine and could have it ready as early as July. Both the Novartis and the Baxter vaccines are created in cells–theoretically allowing for faster production than the standard methods that rely on chicken eggs.

According to the Journal, several other companies have also received orders for H1N1 vaccine from public health authorities.