present application discloses an immunogenic composition comprising N. meningitidis capsular polysaccharides from at least one of serogroups A, C, W135 and Y conjugated to a carrier protein to produce a N. meningitidis capsular polysaccharide conjugate, wherein the average size of each N. meningitidis polysaccharide is above 50 kDa.

The invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising: a) a conjugate that is a capsular saccharide from GBS serotype Ia conjugated to a carrier protein; b) a conjugate that is a capsular saccharide from GBS serotype Ib conjugated to a carrier protein; c) a conjugate that is a capsular saccharide from GBS serotype III conjugated to a carrier protein; d) a conjugate that is a capsular saccharide from GBS serotype II conjugated to a carrier protein; and e) a conjugate that is a capsular saccharide from GBS serotype V conjugated to a carrier protein.

The invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising one or more GBS conjugates and one or more antigens selected from: a) cellular or acellular pertussis antigen, b) a tetanus toxoid, c) a diphtheria toxoid and d) an inactivated polio virus antigen, wherein each GBS conjugate is a group B streptococcus capsular saccharide conjugated to a carrier protein. The invention also provides a method for raising an immune response in a patient, comprising the step of administering to the patient a composition of the invention.

The present application discloses an immunogenic composition comprising N. meningitidis capsular polysaccharides from at least one of serogroups A, C, W135 and Y conjugated to a carrier protein to produce a N. meningitidis capsular polysaccharide conjugate, wherein the average size of each N. meningitidis polysaccharide is above 50 kDa.

The present invention describes a second-generation tetanus toxoid vaccine and a process for the preparation thereof, comprising the steps of: inducing an E. coli culture OD.sub.600=0.5 by adding 0.2 mM IPTG; growing the culture at 14-16 C. for 14 to 20 hours; suspending the culture in 25 mM phosphate buffer containing 200 mM sodium chloride; adding 1% of triton-X-100 to the phosphate buffer, and adding the buffer to the culture; sonicating the culture for a period of 3 minutes (at 5 sec on/off pulse) at 4 C. on cold beads; centrifuging the culture for 60 to 90 minutes; collecting and purifying a supernatant using Ni-NTA affinity column with an eluant; and combining the supernatant into a pool with contaminated bands and concentrating using Centriprep-30 centrifuge filters (30 kDa pores).

The invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising OMVs and (a) acellular pertussis antigen, (b) a tetanus toxoid and (c) a diphtheria toxoid, wherein the OMVs are derived from Bordetella pertussis. The invention also provides compositions for use in a method for raising an immune response in a patient, comprising the step of administering to the patient a composition of the invention.

A vaccine for the prevention of infections with Bordetella, comprising at least outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of B. parapertussis, excipients and/or adjuvants. Bordetella may be, for example, B. pertussis or B. parapertussis. The vaccine can comprise adjuvants, for example, aluminum hydroxide and other immunogens such as tetanus toxoid, diphtheria toxoid, or combinations thereof. In another preferred embodiment, the vaccine for the prevention of infections with Bordetella comprises at least outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of B. pertussis and the lipopolysaccharide of B. parapertussis, excipients and/or adjuvants. The vaccine can comprise between 3 to 20 g per dose of OMVs from B. pertussis and between the amount equivalent to 10.sup.7 and 10.sup.10 bacteria per dose of lipopolysaccharide of B. parapertussis. The adjuvant can be aluminum hydroxide and other immunogens such as tetanus toxoid, diphtheria toxoid, or combinations thereof. The Tdap vaccine exhibits cross activity.

The present application discloses an immunogenic composition comprising at least 2 different N. meningitidis capsular saccharides, wherein one or more is/are selected from a first group consisting of MenA, MenC, MenY and MenW which is/are conjugated through a linker to a carrier protein(s), and one or more different saccharides is/are selected from a second group consisting of MenA, MenC, MenY and MenW which is/are directly conjugated to a carrier protein(s).

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical vaccine composition comprising: (a) a pathogen-derived antigen selected from the group consisting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen, Bacillus anthracis antigen, HAV (hepatitis A virus) antigen, HBV (hepatitis B virus) antigen, HCV (hepatitis C virus) antigen, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) antigen, influenza virus antigen, HSV (herpes simplex virus) antigen, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) antigen, Neisseria meningitidis antigen, Corynebacterium diphtheriae antigen, Bordetella pertussis antigen, Clostridium tetani antigen and Varicella virus antigen; (b) a deacylated non-toxic LOS (lipooligosaccharide); and (c) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.