Universal flu vaccine passes first round of human trials
Round One OK.
A vaccine that could help to control a flu pandemic has shown encouraging results in its first human trials.
The vaccine, made by Acambis…should protect against all strains of influenza A, the type responsible for pandemics.
Unlike existing vaccines it does not have to be reformulated each year to match the prevalent strains of flu, so it could be stockpiled and used as soon as a pandemic strain emerges. Nor does it need to be grown on fertilised chicken eggs, as the existing vaccines do, but can be produced by cell culture.
A significant problem with conventional vaccines is that they attack parts of the flu virus that can change rapidly…Acambis’s approach was to identify some aspect of the virus that is unchanging.
Interesting approach - and good news of success in early days.
Posted: Sat - January 5, 2008 at 10:13 AM