If successful this trial could represent a breakthrough in influenza vaccines. Sanofi Pasteur will attempt to diversify the influenza vaccine market by basing the vaccines on cell culture technology instead of using eggs based vaccines.
The trial conducted in the US is part of a contract awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate the development of a new cell culture-based influenza vaccine.
“This trial will assess the safety and ability to generate an immune response of a cell culture-based vaccine that could provide an important alternative to traditional egg-based flu vaccines,” said Dennis Morrison, clinical investigator at the first trial site.
The phase I clinical trial will be conducted on 100 healthy adults, 18-64 years of age. Half of the study participants will receive the cell-based vaccine and the other half a traditional egg-based control vaccine.
This vaccine was developed using PER.C6 cell culture technology, licensed from Dutch biotechnology company, Crucell.
The production scale potential of the PER.C6 cell line has been demonstrated in a successful bioreactor run. This scale-up process was achieved under a subcontracting agreement between Sanofi Pasteur and Lonza Biologics.