A Different Kind of Flu Vaccine

A revolutionary new flu vaccine differs from traditional flu vaccines in two important ways: its method of manufacture and its method of delivery, both of which offer significant advantages over traditional flu vaccines.

The vaccine, developed by Vaxin, Inc. (Birmingham, AL, USA), employs a recombinant adenovirus to deliver an influenza antigen to the nose, where it stimulates a protective immune response. Vaccine delivery to the nose may stimulate multiple arms of the immune system, offering protection at least as good as traditional flu vaccines. Since the virus is inactivated, it does not have some of the issues associated with live-virus vaccines.

This new vaccine is produced in cell culture, unlike other flu vaccines, which are produced in chicken eggs. One big advantage of this is that the manufacturer does not have to be dependent on the long lead time required to secure chicken eggs every year. In addition, the use of cell-culture manufacturing eliminates the possibility of contamination with the avian flu virus, a risk in egg-based production. Also, this manufacturing process provides higher yields, greater quantities in a faster time frame, and is more reliable than the egg-based process.

"We will be conducting additional Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in 2005 and 2006 for our nasal delivery influenza vaccine,” stated Frank Cano, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Vaxin. "Although the Vaxin influenza vaccine is several years from commercialization, we are pioneering a new technology that in the future could solve many of the problems associated with today's traditional flu vaccines.”




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