Novavax's new bird flu vaccine could bolster the arsenal against a pandemic

Dec 20 2007

The drug company Novavax has announced that it's experimental avian flu vaccine has proved to be both safe and effective in Phase I/IIa trials in humans.

Novavax which is a biotechnology company based in Rockville, Maryland, in the U.S. says it has tested the vaccine in two doses in a group of 70 healthy adults and the drug was well-tolerated and induced immune responses in the majority of participants.

Novavax says the encouraging results will mean the continued development of the pandemic influenza vaccine and the next stage will determine the effectiveness of the drug when given to people in higher doses.

Novavax, which is currently building a new vaccine production facility in Rockville, is developing its vaccines with virus-like particles that imitate flu viruses, unlike traditional vaccines which contain an actual flu virus.

Novavax says it is committed to leading the global fight against infectious diseases by creating novel, highly potent vaccines that are safer and more effective than current preventive options.

The company's scientists are using virus-like particle (VLP) technology to tackle influenza viruses which include avian strains with the potential to cause a pandemic outbreak.

Novavax has already created vaccines designed to protect against various circulating strains of avian influenza as well as seasonal flu which have been tested in animals and they are now moving toward clinical testing.

Novavax professes to having a holistic approach to controlling the spread of disease and says it is focused on creating novel, highly potent recombinant vaccines produced via cell culture.

The company apparently uses a unique portable manufacturing system that allows for rapid mass production which could in the future be able to rapidly deliver a customized vaccine in the midst of a pandemic.

Novavax is also planning to apply its particle-based vaccine approach to other viral diseases beyond influenza such as Shingles.

The company has developed three proprietary technology platforms - Virus-Like Particles, Novasome paucilamellar vesicles and Micellar Nanoparticles.

Novavax lost $9 million in the last quarter, an 80 percent increase over third quarter losses as year ago as it funds research and development.