LYON, France, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Novavax Inc.'s unique cell culture manufacturing system has the potential to produce up to several million doses of vaccine within six months of an influenza pandemic, the Company said here today at the World Vaccine Congress.
“Using pre-sterilized disposable bioreactor bags, Novavax can install a vaccine manufacturing system and can begin producing vaccines in far less time than traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, which potentially could save countless lives,” said Tibor Nemes, Novavax’s head of technical operations.
“The challenges of producing enough vaccine to meet the demands of the United States or other countries throughout the world in the event of an influenza pandemic outbreak are difficult,” Nemes said. “We are taking a proactive approach to this threat.”
Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project that an influenza pandemic would likely cause up to 7.4 million deaths globally, with hundreds of millions of people infected.
Novavax has used this portable, disposable manufacturing system to produce virus-like particle (VLP) influenza vaccines and has now demonstrated scalability of the manufacturing process in a short period of time. Based on pre-clinical study results, VLP vaccines have the potential to provide broader protection, often in a single dose. Using VLP technology, Novavax scientists create a particle that is nearly identical to a virus but does not have the virus’s genetic material required for replication or infection. When inoculated into the body, these particles have the ability to attach to cells and trigger a natural immune response that is capable of protecting against viral infection.
Novavax’s VLP vaccines are grown in insect cell culture, which is amenable to scale up at high yields. Historically, vaccines have been produced in eggs, which require months of preparation and large, expensive manufacturing facilities.
Combining Novavax’s VLP vaccines with a flexible manufacturing system “dramatically improves our capacity to produce safe and effective vaccines and provides the speed and capability of responding to the challenges of an influenza pandemic,” Nemes said.
About Novavax Inc.
Novavax Inc. is committed to leading the global fight against infectious disease by creating novel, highly potent vaccines that are safer and more effective than current preventive options. Using the company’s proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) and Novasome(R) adjuvant technologies, Novavax is developing vaccines to protect against H5N1 pandemic influenza, seasonal flu and other viral diseases. Novavax’s particulate vaccines closely match disease-causing viruses while lacking the genetic material to cause disease, which provides potential for greater immune protection at lower doses than current vaccines. With an exclusive portable manufacturing system that allows for rapid mass-production of vaccines, Novavax is uniquely positioned to meet global public health needs.
Novavax Inc.
CONTACT: Mariann Caprino, Novavax Inc., +1-484-913-1213
Web site: http://www.novavax.com/
