Novavax to collaborate with University of Pittsburgh on influenza vaccine

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Feb. 15 - Novavax, Inc. said Wednesday that it has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine to evaluate the efficacy of virus-like particle influenza vaccines as well as Novasomes, a proprietary adjuvant.

Under the new agreement, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and professionals at Novavax will evaluate the full range of immunity elicited by influenza virus-like particle vaccines developed at Novavax, according to a company news release.

Scientists also will evaluate the use of Novasomes to augment and/or broaden the overall protective immune response elicited by vaccines and to demonstrate the ability to lower the dose of antigen required to provide protection against influenza virus infection, officials said.

This preclinical data will supplement recent data published in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing Novavax influenza virus-like particle vaccines can elicit a protective immune response, officials said.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Novavax in this important research showing the breadth and depth of the immune response raised with their VLP vaccines for influenza. This approach has great potential for improving on the efficacy of currently available influenza vaccines, as well as for offering a practical solution to the need for rapid development and production of a vaccine for pandemic influenza," Ted Ross, investigator from the university, said in the release.

Company officials said the research will be undertaken in parallel with other preclinical studies required before human testing, which is planned for later this year.

Novavax's virus-like particle vaccine approach uses recombinant DNA technology to create components of the influenza virus in structures optimized to elicit a protective immune response.

The three dimensional virus-like structures are designed to give protection without the risk of infection and without the addition of chemical adjuvants. Novavax's proprietary process produces vaccines aseptically, reduces contamination risk and leads to high, cost-effective yields, officials said.

Novavax is a Malvern, Pa., product development company focused on the research, development and commercialization of products using its proprietary drug delivery and biological technologies for large and growing markets.

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