Baxter presents seasonal influenza vaccine candidate trial data

Baxter has announced preliminary phase I/II clinical trial data for its Vero cell-based influenza vaccine candidate, with these results suggesting that the vaccine induces a strong antibody response in all patients studies while having good tolerability.

Presented at the Options for the Control of Influenza VI Conference in Toronto, the study data showed the vaccine candidate to be effective in inducing protective levels of antibodies in individuals for all three strains of seasonal influenza in both age levels tested.

For subjects aged 18-49, 99.6 per cent of individuals administered with the vaccine candidate exhibited protective antibody levels against H1N1 and H3N2, with 92.9 per cent having protective antibody levels for strain B.

In individuals over the age of 50, 96.6 per cent of subjects saw protective levels of antibodies against H1N1, with 100 per cent protected against H3N2 and 73.3 per cent showing protective antibodies against strain B.

Dr Noel Barrett, vice-president of global research and development for the vaccines business at Baxter, said: “Combined with the recent encouraging results from our pandemic H5N1 clinical trial, these data provide further evidence suggesting the Vero cell platform can reliably deliver safe and effective influenza vaccines in pandemic or interpandemic situations.”

He added that these results offer an early suggestion of immunity against important strains of seasonal influenza together with an acceptable safety profile – important steps prior to the initiation of a phase III clinical trial programme of the vaccine.

Last month, Baxter International expressed its support for World Health Organisation plans to stockpile influenza vaccines to ensure broad access to the H5N1 avian pandemic influenza drugs in developing nations.