Novavax y los NIH acuerdan evaluar el candidato vacunal VLPs (partículas semejantes a virus) contra el nuevo virus de la influenza A H1N1

Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) y la División de Microbiología y Enfermedades Infecciosas (DMID) del Instituto Nacional de Alergia y Enfermedades Infecciosas (NIAID) pertenecientes a los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH), han firmado un acuerdo para cooperar en la evaluación del candidato vacunal VLP ( a partir de partículas semejantes a virus) contra el nuevo virus de la influenza A H1N1. Novavax ha producido la vacuna influenza A (H1N1) VLP contra la cepa recomendada por los CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Científicos de Novavax produjeron el primer lote de H1N1 VLPs dentro de los laboratorios de la compañía en mayo, solo tres semanas después que el CDC anunciara la secuencia genética del nuevo virus de la influenza A H1N1. Esta cepa de influenza fue aislada de una persona infectada en California. Estas partículas semejantes a virus contienen la hemaglutinina (HA), la neuraminidasa (NA) y las proteínas de la matriz 1 (M1) encontradas en la cepa de influenza H1N1 de reciente aparición. El tamaño y la estructura de las VLPs son casi idénticas a aquellas del nuevo virus H1N1 pero las VLPs no son infecciosas ya que carecen de los genes necesarios para la replicación. Novavax ha fabricado influenza A (H1N1) VLPs purificadas las que están siendo enviadas a científicos de los CDC y DMID para estudios en modelos animales.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/152683.php

“The Company has committed necessary resources to respond as rapidly as possible to construct and manufacture VLP vaccine against this new H1N1 influenza virus,” said Rahul Singhvi, President and CEO of Novavax. “Our proprietary recombinant cell culture technology has enabled production of custom VLPs against this strain of influenza within weeks. This ability to respond rapidly is an important factor in the evaluation of alternative investigational vaccines against this emerging threat to public health.”

The influenza A (H1N1) virus was first detected in April 2009, in Mexico, the United States and Canada and has subsequently spread rapidly to over sixty countries worldwide. Although illnesses to date have been of a similar severity as that of typical seasonal influenza, it is unclear if the strain will evolve to become more deadly over the course of the next several months. Therefore, technology that can lead to rapid production of vaccines is important to reduce the spread of the virus and to potentially prevent a pandemic from occurring. Novavax believes that its influenza VLP vaccine technology could be part of the solution for influenza pandemics as will be demonstrated in this instance by release of a vaccine lot produced under cGMP against the novel influenza A H1N1 strain within approximately 12 weeks or less of the CDC announcement of the new strain.

Novavax has completed genetic engineering and manufacture of the master seed stock necessary to produce larger quantities of the investigational influenza A (H1N1) VLP vaccine under cGMP conditions in its manufacturing facility in Rockville, MD.

About Novavax

Novavax, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company, creating novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide using advanced proprietary virus like particle (VLP) technology. The Company produces these VLP based, potent, recombinant vaccines utilizing new, and efficient manufacturing approaches.