Novartis AG’s experimental vaccine Menveo appeared to generate more potent immunity against four types of meningitis, in a late-stage trial, when compared with the version already existing on the market, Sanofi-Aventis SA’s Menactra, the Swiss drugmaker said on Tuesday.

According to Novartis, its test data showed that Menveo produced “a greater immune response” in adolescents aged 11-18, compared to Menactra. Menveo generated higher levels of antibodies against all four types of meningitis tested – serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y – according to results presented at a Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Hawaii, Reuters reports. The trial involved 2,100 adolescents who were vaccinated with either Menveo or Menactra.

"We intend to file (for approval) in H2 this year and we believe that -- if everything goes right -- we should be on the market in the U.S. and Europe in H2 next year," Joerg Reinhardt, chief executive of vaccines and diagnostics at Novartis, said.

Menactra, approved in 2005, is now the only vaccine available against all four types of meningitis.

Meningitis is a deadly bacterial disease if not immediately diagnosed and treated. Most cases occur in infants and adolescents. It is characterized by swelling of the tissue around the spinal cord and the brain and can cause seizures, brain damage, and memory loss. Its symptoms include fever, headache, and stiff neck.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1,400 and 2,800 cases of meningitis occur each year in the U.S. alone and 10 to 14 percent of patients die as a result, often within a day or two of infection.

Menveo is currently in multiple Phase III trials involving infants, young children, adolescents, and adults and Novartis expects to submit the vaccine for approval later this year.