The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new seasonal flu vaccine. It is produced by a new, more efficient method, reports Reuters. The manufacturer of the preparation is Novartis.
The preparation is intended for people over 18 years of age. The new manufacturing technique significantly speeds up its production. It has long been used in other vaccines.
Traditional seasonal flu vaccines are made using a method that dates back more than half a century. A small hole is made in the shell of a fertilized hen’s egg and flu viruses are injected into the fluid surrounding the embryo. Then the hole is sealed and you have to wait for the germs to multiply. Only then are they isolated, purified and used to produce vaccines.
The influenza viruses used must be modified in advance so that they are suitable for breeding in chicken eggs.
This method is largely automated, but nevertheless, it usually takes at least six months to develop such a vaccine to produce it in larger quantities. This is especially troublesome in the event of a pandemic, when ten times more of such preparations than is needed during the flu season.
The Novartis concern has developed a vaccine for the production of which cell cultures (consisting in the multiplication of viruses in animal cells) were used. Thanks to this, you can speed up the entire production process by at least 8-10 weeks.
“Modern cell technology will become the standard in the production of seasonal vaccines,” says Andrin Oswald, who is responsible for the production of vaccines in the concern.
The new vaccine is to be manufactured at the company’s new facilities in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The clinical trials preceding its registration showed that the effectiveness of the preparation in preventing infection with the influenza virus reaches 83,8%. (PAP)
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