Sunday, January 15, 2012 6:52:27 PM
'Holy Grail' of Flu Vaccines by Next Year
By JASON KOEBLER
January 13, 2012
Annual flu shots might soon become a thing of the past, and threats such as avian and swine flu might disappear with them as a vaccine touted as the "holy grail" of flu treatment could be ready for human trials next year.
That's earlier than the National Institutes of Health estimated in 2010, when they said a universal vaccine could be five years off. By targeting the parts of the virus that rarely mutate, researchers believe they can develop a vaccine similar to the mumps or measles shot—people will be vaccinated as children and then receive boosters later.
That differs from the current '60s-era technology, according to Joseph Kim, head of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, which is working on the universal vaccine. Each year, the seasonal flu vaccinetargets three or four strains that researchers believe will be the most common that year. Previous seasons' vaccines have no effect on future strains of the virus, because it mutates quickly. The seasonal vaccine also offers no protection against outbreaks, such as 2009's H1N1 swine flu. A universal vaccine would offer protection against all forms of the virus.
"It's like putting up a tent over your immune system that protects against rapidly mutating viruses," Kim says. At least two other companies are working on a similar vaccine. In late 2010, Inovio earned a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to work on the vaccine.
"It's a completely different paradigm than how [the vaccines] are made seasonably every year," Kim says.
Kim says early research has been promising. Flu strains fall into different "buckets," he says. All H1N1 strains share similar characteristics, as do all H5N1 strains, including the the Asian bird flu strain that has killed more than 60 percent of the 500 or so people it has infected over the past decade.
Kim says Inovio has already made and completed successful human tests for vaccines that protect against all H1N1 and H5N1 flu strains.
In late 2011, two research groups created a strain of H5N1 bird flu that could be passed from human to human, leading the World Health Organization to issue a statement that said they were "deeply concerned about the potential negative consequences" that publishing their research could cause. Some news outlets have called the new strain "engineered doomsday" and wondered whether terrorist organizations could create and distribute a similar virus. Kim says not to worry.
"I am very certain our vaccine can already neutralize that newly made virus," he says. "We're trying to get our hands on it."
Inovio is working on vaccines that'll protect against other strains, such as H3N2, which is seen in a newly-emerged swine flu virus. Those vaccines will be combined with the already-developed H1N1 and H5N1 vaccines to be delivered in one shot by the 2013 flu season. Researchers are taking a similar approach to HIV vaccine development, but working on the flu might be easier.
"Unlike other diseases, we have 50 plus years of diagnostics on the flu," Kim says. "There are lots of toolkits that let us know if our approach will work or not. ... Our goal is to have a vaccine strategy that can protect us from all mutations."
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/01/13/universal-flu-vaccine-could-be-available-by-2013
Recent INO News
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/13/2024 08:57:26 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/13/2024 08:10:59 PM
- INOVIO Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights • PR Newswire (US) • 05/13/2024 08:05:00 PM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/13/2024 08:01:20 PM
- INOVIO Reports Inducement Grants Under Inducement Plan • PR Newswire (US) • 05/01/2024 12:00:00 PM
- INOVIO to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences in May • PR Newswire (US) • 04/29/2024 12:00:00 PM
- INOVIO to Report First Quarter 2024 Financial Results on May 13, 2024 • PR Newswire (US) • 04/29/2024 12:00:00 PM
- INOVIO Announces Pricing of Approximately $36 Million Underwritten Offering of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants • PR Newswire (US) • 04/15/2024 10:39:00 PM
- INOVIO to Participate in The Citizens JMP Novel Therapeutics Forum at Penn Medicine • PR Newswire (US) • 03/26/2024 10:28:00 PM
- INOVIO Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Operational Highlights • PR Newswire (US) • 03/06/2024 09:05:00 PM
- Geneos Therapeutics to Present New Clinical Data on GNOS-PV02 at the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting • PR Newswire (US) • 03/06/2024 12:00:00 PM
- U.S. Stock Futures Gain Ahead of Economic Insights; Oil Prices Climb • IH Market News • 03/06/2024 11:02:03 AM
- INOVIO to Report Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2023 Financial Results on March 6, 2024 • PR Newswire (US) • 02/21/2024 01:00:00 PM
- INOVIO to Present at the Oppenheimer 34th Annual Healthcare Life Sciences Conference • PR Newswire (US) • 02/07/2024 04:46:00 PM
- INOVIO Reports Inducement Grant Under Inducement Plan • PR Newswire (US) • 02/02/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Form EFFECT - Notice of Effectiveness • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/01/2024 05:15:24 AM
- Form S-3/A - Registration statement under Securities Act of 1933: [Amend] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/26/2024 09:01:33 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/25/2024 09:02:31 PM
- INOVIO Announces Effective Date of 1-for-12 Reverse Stock Split • PR Newswire (US) • 01/23/2024 01:00:00 PM
- INOVIO to Participate in Virtual Fireside Chat on the Potential Treatment of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis with Key Opinion Leader • PR Newswire (US) • 01/22/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 01/12/2024 10:27:59 PM
- INOVIO and Coherus Announce Clinical Collaboration to Advance Development of INO-3112 in Combination with LOQTORZI™ (toripalimab-tpzi) • PR Newswire (US) • 01/04/2024 01:00:00 PM
- INOVIO Plans to Submit a BLA for INO-3107 as a Potential Treatment for RRP in Second Half of 2024 Under Accelerated Approval Program • PR Newswire (US) • 01/03/2024 01:00:00 PM
- Form DEF 14A - Other definitive proxy statements • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 11/28/2023 09:05:57 PM
- Form PRE 14A - Other preliminary proxy statements • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 11/17/2023 09:00:28 PM
Avant Technologies Equipping AI-Managed Data Center with High Performance Computing Systems • AVAI • May 10, 2024 8:00 AM
VAYK Discloses Strategic Conversation on Potential Acquisition of $4 Million Home Service Business • VAYK • May 9, 2024 9:00 AM
Bantec's Howco Awarded $4.19 Million Dollar U.S. Department of Defense Contract • BANT • May 8, 2024 10:00 AM
Element79 Gold Corp Successfully Closes Maverick Springs Option Agreement • ELEM • May 8, 2024 9:05 AM
Kona Gold Beverages, Inc. Achieves April Revenues Exceeding $586,000 • KGKG • May 8, 2024 8:30 AM
Epazz plans to spin off Galaxy Batteries Inc. • EPAZ • May 8, 2024 7:05 AM