The Belgian research institute and Acambis will work together to develop a vaccine against both A and B strains of influenza, using Acambis’ influenza A vaccine candidate that it acquired from Apovia earlier in the year and additional technology licensed from Flanders.
The new influenza vaccine candidate, hailed as a breakthrough in vaccine development by Acambis, could offer permanent protection by overcoming mutations in influenza strains and protecting against influenza pandemics.
The aim of the research collaboration is to generate a ‘universal’ vaccine candidate that would protect against both A and B strains of influenza and, more importantly, would not require annual changes to the formulation.
Current influenza vaccines usually need to be changed on an annual basis to cope with genetic drift, mutations that occur in influenza strains circulating in nature, as well as major genetic shifts that can result in influenza pandemics. The need to change vaccine formulations each year results in delays in initiating vaccine coverage.
Gordon Cameron, CEO at Acambis said: “This program gives Acambis the opportunity to enter one of the most significant vaccine markets – influenza. The recent influenza vaccine shortages have highlighted the inadequacies of current influenza vaccines and their manufacturing methods.”
The initial vaccine candidate against influenza A is currently in preclinical development. It is manufactured using recombinant bacterial fermentation technology, which aims to provide time and cost efficiencies compared with traditional egg-based production methods.