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25/10/2007

Retroscreen Virology to take part in European consortium to develop flu vaccine

London, October  2007 … Retroscreen Virology Ltd, Europe's leading contract Virology research company, has announced that it has joined a European consortium to develop a novel pandemic influenza vaccine which could be could be used as a potential emergency vaccine.

The four year Flu-Vac project, has been awarded a Framework 6 grant of €3.5 million, and includes Retroscreen (UK), Nobilon International BV (Netherlands), part of Organon, who will be co-ordinating the project, along with Protherics PLC (UK), Erasmus Medical Centre (Netherlands), and Landspitali University Hospital (Iceland). 

The consortium will collaborate to develop a highly effective vaccine which can be deployed at short notice in the event of a potential avian flu pandemic. The consortium will advance  an H5N1 vaccine developed by Nobilon, and containing CoVaccine HT™, a powerful adjuvant from Protherics, taking it from proof of concept, and through phase II clinical trials.

Commenting on Retroscreen’s involvement, Prof John Oxford, said: “Avian flu represents a significant threat to human health, and the need for an effective vaccine has never been greater. This is an excellent opportunity for Retroscreen, and serves to highlight our expertise in virology testing, and clinical studies for influenza vaccines.”

Dr. Luuk Hilgers, scientific coordinator for the project on behalf of Nobilon, stated: “In the event of an influenza pandemic, vaccination will play a key role in its control.  Therefore, availability of a sufficient number of vaccine doses will be critical.  In this project, we will exploit the potency of the adjuvant to potentiate immunity and to reduce the antigen dose required per vaccination.”

Retroscreen has considerable experience in running clinical trials for influenza from its specially constructed ‘flu hotel’, a quarantined facility in London. Retroscreen uses this facility to conduct challenge studies testing the efficacy of new vaccines against strains of the influenza virus.