Positive Phase I and Pre-Clinical Data Suggest Acambis PLC's M2e-Based Universal Influenza Vaccine, ACAM-FLU-A(TM), Could Tackle Influenza Pandemics

CAMBRIDGE, England and CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Acambis plc (Acambis) (LSE:ACM), a leading vaccine development company, today announced positive data from two trials of its universal influenza vaccine ACAM-FLU-A™. The novel vaccine targets the M2e peptide, which is found unchanged on the surface of all ‘A’ strains of the influenza virus, including all pandemic influenza strains. As such, this vaccine could overcome the current need to adapt influenza vaccines every year to correspond to circulating strains. The Phase 1 clinical trial showed the vaccine to be well tolerated and immunogenic and the pre-clinical challenge study suggests that this M2e-based vaccine can protect against highly pathogenic viruses such as pandemic influenza strains, including H5N1.