ID Biomedical announced today that it has been awarded a US$9.5 million grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop its cell culture-based influenza vaccine.
ID Biomedical's proprietary cell culture-based manufacturing process is being developed as a possible future replacement to the classical egg-based manufacturing process currently used by all flu vaccine manufacturers, including ID Biomedical. The technology has particular application to manufacturing vaccine in the event of an influenza pandemic. This grant will allow ID Biomedical to further develop and conduct early-stage human trials of its cell culture-based influenza vaccine.
Commenting on the award, ID Biomedical's Senior Vice President of Development, Dr. Ronald Ellis said, "We are delighted to have received funding from the NIH to develop our cell-derived influenza vaccine. We had shown a few years ago that our cell-derived vaccine manufactured by a prototype process was comparable in terms of safety and immunogenicity to our licensed egg- derived vaccine, Fluviral(R). This NIH grant enables IDB to continue this development toward a commercial process that should produce a vaccine with a safety and immunogenicity profile that fully meets the requirements for any influenza vaccine. Moreover, the grant also enables the development of and manufacturing process for a pandemic vaccine, should one be needed."
Cell culture-based manufacturing technologies offer a number of potential advantages over traditional egg-based manufacturing processes, including a reduction in the time required to produce influenza vaccines and potentially improved effectiveness. Additionally, persons with egg allergies could take the vaccine, whereas egg-based vaccines are contra-indicated in this particular population.