New Tool Available for RSV Vaccine Researchers

A valuable new tool for use by vaccine and anti-viral drug developers has now reached the market. The RSV Clinical Challenge Stock is a clinical infectious inoculum of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) designed for use in human clinical studies as a viral infection challenge model. RSV Clinical Challenge Stock is being marketed by Meridian Biologics, a subsidiary of Meridian Life Science, Inc. (Cincinnati, OH, USA).

RSV is the most important cause of lower respiratory infection (causing both pneumonia and bronchiolitis) in infants and small children, and is the most common cause of respiratory viral death in this population. Furthermore, RSV is the second most common (second to influenza) viral lower respiratory tract infection of the elderly and other adults with chronic lung disease or compromised immunity.

The new Clinical Challenge Stock, which was prepared from a low passage clinical strain of RSV-A virus collected from a hospitalized infant, may by used for vaccine development to conduct precisely controlled clinical studies to demonstrate actual protection rather than simply implied protection via measuring neutralizing antibody response. For anti-viral therapeutic development, the RSV challenge stock permits the design of controlled clinical studies to test for antiviral effect and also to evaluate clinical effects on symptoms and other measurements of disease.

Dr. Preston Dorsett, vice-president of science and technology for Meridian Life Science, Inc., said, "We have been able to leverage our expertise in cell culture, viral production, and cGMP manufacturing and expert academic and technical collaboration to develop a reproducible production process for generation of a high-titered clinical stock for use in human challenge studies.”


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Meridian Life Science, Inc.