Data further supports the continued development of FLU-v as a broad-spectrum influenza vaccine
Open Orphan – a company that tests infectious and respiratory disease products in human challenge clinical trials – has announced positive data from a peer-reviewed study evaluating the in vitro efficacy of FLU-v. The vaccine is Imutex’s broad spectrum influenza vaccine.
Previous clinical studies have demonstrated that FLU-v induced increased antibody and cellular responses in vivo. This placebo-controlled study evaluated the ability of FLU-v to induce cellular effector functions and cross-reactivity. Both are measures of the immune response, with cross-reactivity being particularly important for protection against multiple viral strains of immune cells extracted from participants.
The study found that measurements of IFN-γ and granzyme B production in stimulated immune cells from participants who had previously been vaccinated with either FLU-v or placebo were significantly higher in the FLU-v group, both when stimulated with vaccine antigen and also with antigens from a panel of seasonal and pandemic inactivated influenza A and B strains.
These results further support the continued development of FLU-v as a broad-spectrum influenza vaccine.
FLU-v is owned by Imutex, a joint venture between hVIVO and PepTcell Limited (the legal name of SEEK Group), to develop vaccines against influenza and mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus, malaria and other flaviviruses.
Dr Andrew Catchpole, chief scientific officer at hVIVO, explained: “It is encouraging to see further positive data for FLU-v, supporting its continued development as a broad-spectrum influenza vaccine. There is a large unmet need for a broad-spectrum vaccine to help battle emerging seasonal and pandemic influenza A and B viruses.
“Although FLU-v had already produced successful phase 2 clinical data, this in vitro study is particularly important as it showed the ability of the candidate to induce an immune response against a diverse variety of influenza A and B strains,” he added.
Seasonal influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality each year and a pandemic influenza continues to pose a worldwide threat. Influenza is a serious global health threat with an estimated one billion cases per year, three to five million severe cases and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths per year.
