396 results about "Influenza vaccine" patented technology

Vectors and methods for the production of influenza viruses suitable as recombinant influenza vaccines in cell culture are provided. Bi-directional expression vectors for use in a multi-plasmid influenza virus expression system are provided. Additionally, the invention provides methods of producing influenza viruses with enhanced ability to replicate in embryonated chicken eggs and / or cells (e.g., Vero and / or MDCK) and further provides influenza viruses with enhanced replication characteristics. A method of producing a cold adapted (ca) influenza virus that replicates efficiently at, e.g., 25° C. (and immunogenic compositions comprising the same) is also provided.

Vectors and methods for the production of influenza viruses suitable as recombinant influenza vaccines in cell culture are provided. Bi-directional expression vectors for use in a multi-plasmid influenza virus expression system are provided. Additionally, the invention provides methods of producing influenza viruses with enhanced ability to replicate in embryonated chicken eggs and / or cells (e.g., Vero and / or MDCK) and further provides influenza viruses with enhanced replication characteristics. In addition, the present invention includes an improved method of rescue, wherein animal cells (e.g., SF Vero cells) are electroporated with plasmids and vectors of the invention.

An anti-influenza vaccine composition wherein the improvement is that the vaccine includes, as an additive, neuraminidase (NA). The base anti-influenza vaccine can be any commercially available anti-influenza vaccine. The composition can include and be administered with an adjuvant. The vaccine composition provides protection in a host, animal or human, against influenza infection, including viral replication and systemic infection. Oral, nasal or other mucosal or per needle administration, including intracutaneous, intradermal, intramuscular, intravascular, and intravenous, are included.

An influenza vaccine adjuvanted with a sub-micron oil-in-water emulsion elicits significantly higher immune responses in human pediatric populations. Compared to an existing unadjuvanted pediatric influenza vaccine, the adjuvanted vaccines provided herein can induce in children a longer persistence of high serum antibody titers and also longer seroconversion and seroprotection. The improvement in immune responses is seen for both influenza A virus and influenza B virus strains, but it is particularly marked for influenza B virus. Moreover, while the existing vaccine provides poor immunity in children after a single dose, the adjuvanted vaccine provides high seroprotection rates against the influenza A virus H3N2 subtype even after a single dose. Furthermore, the adjuvanted vaccine offers significantly better seroprotection against mismatched strains of influenza A virus.

The present invention relates to dermal vaccine formulations, designed for targeted delivery of an immunogenic composition to a dermal compartment of skin including the intradermal and epidermal compartments. The dermal vaccine formulations of the invention comprise an antigenic or immunogenic agent, and at least one molecule, e.g., a chemical agent, which enhances the presentation and / or availability of the antigenic or immunogenic agent to the immune cells of the intradermal compartment or epidermal compartment resulting in an enhanced immune response. The dermal vaccine formulations of the invention have enhanced efficacy as the antigenic or immunogenic agent is delivered to the intradermal compartment or epidermal compartment with enhanced presentation and / or availability to the immune cells that reside therein. The enhanced efficacy of the dermal vaccine formulations results in a therapeutically effective immune response after a single intradermal or epidermal dose, with lower doses of antigenic or immunogenic agent than conventionally used, and without the need for booster immunizations.

A human synthetic peptide-based influenza vaccine for intranasal administration comprises a mixture of flagella containing at least four epitopes of influenza virus reactive with human cells, each expressed individually in Salmonella flagellin, said influenza virus epitopes being selected from the group consisting of: (i) one B-cell hemagglutinin (HA) epitope; (ii) one T-helper hemagglutinin (HA) or nucleo-protein (NP) epitope that can bind to many HLA molecules; and (iii) at least two cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) nucleoprotein (NP) or matrix protein (M) epitopes that are restricted to the most prevalent HLA molecules in different human populations.

The present invention relates to dermal vaccine formulations, designed for targeted delivery of an immunogenic composition to a dermal compartment of skin including the intradermal and epidermal compartments. The dermal vaccine formulations of the invention comprise an antigenic or immunogenic agent, and at least one molecule, e.g., a chemical agent, which enhances the presentation and / or availability of the antigenic or immunogenic agent to the immune cells of the intradermal compartment or epidermal compartment resulting in an enhanced immune response. The dermal vaccine formulations of the invention have enhanced efficacy as the antigenic or immunogenic agent is delivered to the intradermal compartment or epidermal compartment with enhanced presentation and / or availability to the immune cells that reside therein. The enhanced efficacy of the dermal vaccine formulations results in a therapeutically effective immune response after a single intradermal or epidermal dose, with lower doses of antigenic or immunogenic agent than conventionally used, and without the need for booster immunizations.

A method for synthesizing influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) within a plant or a portion of a plant is provided. The method involves expression of influenza HA in plants and the purification by size exclusion chromatography. The invention is also directed towards a VLP comprising influenza HA protein and plants lipids. The invention is also directed to a nucleic acid encoding influenza HA as well as vectors. The VLPs may be used to formulate influenza vaccines, or may be used to enrich existing vaccines.

The present invention relates to monovalent influenza vaccine formulations and vaccination regimes for immunising against influenza disease, their use in medicine, in particular their use in augmenting immune responses to various antigens, and to methods of preparation. In particular, the invention relates to monovalent influenza immunogenic compositions comprising an influenza antigen or antigenic preparation thereof from an influenza virus strain being associated with a pandemic outbreak or having the potential to be associated with a pandemic outbreak, in combination with an oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant comprising a metabolisable oil, a sterol or a tocopherol such as alphatocopherol, and an emulsifying agent.

Peptides of influenza virus hemagglutinin protein and Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigen, antibodies specific for the peptides, influenza vaccines, malaria vaccines and methods of stimulating the immune response of a subject to produce antibodies to influenza virus or malaria are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for formulating vaccines for influenza virus.

Described herein are vaccines and the use of naked DNA and / or RNA encoding hemagglutinin (HA) from pandemic influenza, e.g., the 1918 H1N1 and / or the 1957 H2N2 and / or the 1968 H3N2 influenza A virus, as a vaccine component against present day and coming H1, H2, H3, H5, N1, N2 containing influenza A infections in humans and swine optionally with the naked DNA and / or RNA encoding Neuraminidase (NA) and / or matrix protein (M) and / or the nucleoprotein (NP) from pandemic influenza virus included. If the vaccine components are used as DNA or RNA vaccines with or without the corresponding protein, the codons can optionally be “humanized” using preferred codons from highly expressed mammalian genes and the administration of this DNA vaccine can be by saline or buffered saline injection of naked DNA or RNA, or injection of DNA plasmid or linear gene expressing DNA fragments coupled to particles. Addition of the matrix protein (M) and / or the nucleoprotein (NP) from the 1918 influenza strain is also disclosed.

The present invention encompasses influenza vaccines, in particular avian influenza vaccines. The vaccine may be a recombinant poxvirus vaccine or an inactivated vaccine. The invention also encompasses recombinant poxvirus vectors encoding and expressing avian influenza antigens, epitopes or immunogens which can be used to protect animals, in particular felids, against avian influenza.

Methods and compositions for the optimization and production of refrigerator-temperature stable virus, e.g., influenza, compositions are provided. Formulations and immunogenic compositions comprising refrigerator-temperature stable virus compositions are provided.

The present invention relates to a combination of a priming composition and a boosting composition to prime and boost an immune response in a subject whereby the immune response resulting from administration of the priming composition to the subject is capable of being boosted. The priming composition comprises a DNA plasmid that comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding an influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) or an epitope-bearing domain thereof. The boosting composition comprises an influenza vaccine. The present invention also relates to a method to use such a combination to vaccinate a subject and to enhance an immune response to an influenza vaccine administered alone. Such a combination can elicit an immune response not only against at least one influenza virus strain from which the priming composition or boosting composition is derived but also to at least one heterologous influenza virus strain.

The present invention relates to a process for stabilizing an adjuvant containing vaccine composition, an adjuvanted vaccine composition in dry form and in particular a process for stabilizing an influenza vaccine composition, particularly an adjuvanted influenza vaccine composition in dry form.

The present invention provides an immunogenic influenza composition in a dose volume suitable for human use, comprising an influenza virus antigen or antigenic preparation thereof and an adjuvant composition comprising an oil-in-water emulsion, wherein said oil-in-water emulsion comprises a metabolisable oil at a level of below 11 mg and an emulsifying agent at a level of below 5 mg and optionally a tocol or a sterol at a level of below 12 mg. Suitably the amount of influenza antigen per strain per dose is 15 μg HA or a low amount such as less than 15 μg HA.

The present invention relates to the intersection of the fields of immunology and protein engineering, and particularly to antigens and vaccines useful in prevention of infection by influenza virus. Provided are recombinant protein antigens, compositions, and methods for the production and use of such antigens and subunit vaccine compositions. In some embodiments, influenza antigens include hemagglutinin polypeptides neuraminidase polypeptides, and / or combinations thereof.

The present invention relates to methods for inducing an immune response to influenza in a subject comprising administering a nanoemulsion vaccine composition comprising an influenza immunogen or protein.

The invention discloses a serum-free medium for Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell full suspension culture. The serum-free medium for MDCK cell full suspension culture comprises an amino acid part, a vitamin part, an inorganic salt part and other additive parts. The serum-free medium has the beneficial effects that the serum-free medium for MDCK cell full suspension culture, provided by the invention, is high in cell culture density and clear in composition and does not contain animal serum, a downstream product is purified, the product quality is improved, and the serum-free medium is convenient to prepare and use and suitable for large-scale production of influenza vaccines and avian influenza vaccines.

Novel means and methods are provided for the production of mammalian viruses comprising, infecting a culture of immortalized human cells with the virus, incubating the culture infected with virus to propagate the virus under conditions that permit growth of the virus, and to form a virus-containing medium, and removing the virus-containing medium. The viruses can be harvested and be used for the production of vaccines. Advantages are that human cells of the present invention can be cultured under defined serum free conditions, and the cells show improved capability for propagating virus. In particular, methods are provided for producing, in cultured human cells, influenza virus and vaccines derived thereof. This method eliminates the necessity to use whole chicken embryos for the production of influenza vaccines. The method provides also for the continuous or batchwise removal of culture media. As such, the present invention allows the large-scale, continuous production of viruses to a high titer.

The present invention relates to influenza vaccines for human and veterinary use. In particular, the present invention provides a vaccine able to effect long term and cross-strain protection by including at least two influenza virus epitopes expressed as a chimeric polypeptide wherein at least one epitope is influenza A virus matrix protein epitope and the second epitope is a haemagglutinin peptide epitope.

Vectors and methods for the production of influenza viruses suitable as recombinant influenza vaccines in cell culture are provided. Bi-directional expression vectors for use in a multi-plasmid influenza virus expression system are provided.

A method for synthesizing chimeric influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) within a plant or a portion of a plant is provided. The method involves expression of chimeric influenza HA in a plant or a portion of a plant. The invention is also directed towards a VLP comprising chimeric influenza HA protein and plants lipids. The invention is also directed to a nucleic acid encoding chimeric influenza HA as well as vectors. The VLPs may be used to formulate influenza vaccines, or may be used to enrich existing vaccines.

The invention seeks to avoid components in split vaccines that could cause an excessive Th2 response. Thus the invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising a split influenza virus antigen and a Th1 adjuvant, wherein the antigen is preferably prepared from a virus grown in cell culture (e.g., it is free from egg proteins).

Vectors and methods for the production of influenza viruses suitable as recombinant influenza vaccines in cell culture are provided. Bi-directional expression vectors for use in a multi-plasmid influenza virus expression system are provided.

Compositions of anti-influenza vaccine containing nucleic acids encoding influenza proteins NP, M1 and NS-1 and methods of inducing a protective immune response using these compositions. Also included is the enhancement of antigenic presentation or increasing immunogenicity of an influenza NP, M1 and / or NS-1 polypeptide by modifying the three dimensional structure of the polypeptide.

The present invention relates to influenza vaccine formulations and vaccination regimes for immunising against influenza disease. In particular the invention relates to vaccine formulations comprising an oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant and optionally 3D-MPL, their use in medicine, in particular their use in augmenting immune responses to influenza antigens, and to methods of preparation, wherein the oil in water emulsion comprises a sterol, a metabolisable oil and an emulsifying agent.