A new vaccine against meningitis B is likely to be unveiled sometime next year with Novartis revealing that the jab has been successfully tested among humans.

Novartis' drug, Bexsero has been lauded by health experts who say that the vaccine will help see a sharp drop in the number of children dying due to the disease to which no protection is currently available.

According to Novartis, the vaccine has been successful in trials in which more than 7,500 children, adolescents and adults took part with the vaccine producing antibodies against more than 77 percent of more than 800 meningitis B strains.

Says Andrin Oswald, Head of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Division, "The Bexsero submission in the EU is an important milestone toward achieving the world's first broad-coverage MenB vaccine through our unique multi-component approach."