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news.Dutch biotech company Crucell has received a milestone payment of $1.2 million from the vaccine unit at Sanofi-Aventis for its progress in the development of novel influenza products using cell technology.
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The strategic agreement between the partners covers development of both pandemic and interpandemic (seasonal) influenza vaccines using Crucell’s proprietary PERC6 cell line technology.
Clinical trials for Sanofi / Crucell pandemic influenza vaccine are set to begin in early 2006 in Norway. The trials are being conducted by Flupan, a collaborative research project funded by the European Union to produce a safe and effective cell-culture-based vaccine against highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.
The PERC6-based pandemic flu vaccine will be the first influenza vaccine developed using human cell production technology to enter clinical trials in Europe.
Crucell’s PERC6 technology is a cell line developed for the large-scale manufacture of biological products including vaccines. PERC6 cells are highly susceptible to influenza viruses, thereby making the production of large amounts of influenza vaccine feasible.
Currently used influenza vaccines are produced using embryonated chicken eggs and there is value to improving the timely production of new vaccines in large quantities to combat a potential future influenza pandemic.
Crucell believes a PERC6-based vaccine offers the possibility of advantages for both epidemic and pandemic preparedness. In comparison with other cell-culture technologies, PERC6 offers advantages in terms of its safety and capacity for economic, large-scale production.