On March 9, the FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, testified before a Congressional committee regarding the 2017–2018 influenza season. Gottlieb’s testimony highlighted ongoing collaboration between the US government and biopharmaceutical industry for the development of more efficacious influenza vaccines.

These public-private partnerships (PPPs) are focused on advancing the biomedical science of influenza vaccine R&D and upgrading vaccine manufacturing infrastructure, with the ultimate goal of developing a universal influenza vaccine.

The 2017–2018 influenza season has been the worst to hit the northern hemisphere in recent memory. In February, the FDA estimated vaccine efficacy of 36% for the season. Notably, preliminary data from the FDA and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that non-egg-based vaccines have been more effective in preventing influenza during the 2017–2018 season compared with the traditional egg-based vaccines.

While GlobalData believes that a shift away from egg-based vaccines could occur within the next few years, the availability of a universal influenza vaccine, Commissioner Gottlieb summarized, is “still many years off.” GlobalData anticipates that government support to the biopharmaceutical industry will continue regarding next-generation influenza vaccine development, helping to facilitate the transition to cell and recombinant vaccines.

Collaborations for influenza vaccine development

There are several examples of PPPs for alternative influenza vaccine development. For the US government, its eye is on investing for production of products that will prevent a virulent flu pandemic. In September 2017, the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a press release announcing its collaboration with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) on development of a potential universal influenza vaccine and further development of a small molecule anti-influenza drug.

In 2018, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will begin enrolling volunteers for Phase II clinical trials of an H7N9 influenza vaccine. Transmission of H7N9 between people is low. While mostly zoonotic, a viral mutation of H7N9 can create an influenza pandemic amongst humans. This H7N9 vaccine candidate was developed by Sanofi Pasteur with support from BARDA. A vaccine adjuvant developed by GlaxoSmithKline, with support from BARDA, will be included in the clinical trial.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

View profiles in store

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData

Submit

UK USA Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Côte d"Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Réunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates US Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam British Virgin Islands US Virgin Islands Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Kosovo

Industry * Academia & Education Aerospace, Defense & Security Agriculture Asset Management Automotive Banking & Payments Chemicals Construction Consumer Foodservice Government, trade bodies and NGOs Health & Fitness Hospitals & Healthcare HR, Staffing & Recruitment Insurance Investment Banking Legal Services Management Consulting Marketing & Advertising Media & Publishing Medical Devices Mining Oil & Gas Packaging Pharmaceuticals Power & Utilities Private Equity Real Estate Retail Sport Technology Telecom Transportation & Logistics Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Venture Capital

Tick here to opt out of curated industry news, reports, and event updates from Clinical Trials Arena.

Submit and download

Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

These and other influenza vaccines, including universal-stage versions, are in development from a variety of small and large vaccine developers. Cell and recombinant vaccine technologies are beginning to prove their improved effectiveness against influenza when compared to egg-based vaccines. They are better accommodation for creating vaccines that match changes in the influenza virus that result from viral evolution drift.

The vaccine manufacturing process must be modernized to allow for novel vaccine technologies to meet their full potential. Commissioner Gottlieb addressed this concern in his prepared remarks to Congress by mentioning the FDA’s investment in continuous manufacturing for vaccines, which could allow for closer to year-round manufacturing of vaccines despite input of new vaccine strains in the manufacturing line.

In contrast to their egg-based counterparts, cell and recombinant-based vaccines are amenable to continuous manufacturing production times. Because PPPs are helping to advance vaccine manufacturing technology, they are essential to the development of more effective influenza vaccines.