Michigan-based biopharmaceutical company NanoBio has announced plans to advance its intranasal influenza vaccine into human trials after publishing results from a successful ferret study of the vaccine. The data gained from the ferret study appears in an article titled “Intranasal Immunization of Ferrets with Commercial Trivalent Influenza Vaccines Formulated in a Nanoemulsion-Based Adjuvant” that appears in the July 2011 issue of Clinical Vaccine Immunology.
The study demonstrated that the vaccine, known as NB-1008 could “elicit robust systemic immunity against influenza, without evidence of toxicity or tolerability concerns,” the company said. NB-1008 also protected against strains of H3N2 influenza not included in the vaccine. According to the company’s Senior VP of Vaccine Research and Development, Ali Fattom, “the cross-protection observed indicates our adjuvant can enhance cross-reactive antibodies, which could play an important role in developing a future universal vaccine for influenza.”
James Baker, Jr., founder and CEO of NanoBio explained the company’s research strategy: “We have selected influenza as our lead vaccine candidate as a model or proof of concept for our nanoemulsion adjuvant platform. The research described in this publication represents a critical step for NanoBio, and provided the impetus for proceeding directly to Phase 1 studies. As we stand today, we are currently conducting a Phase 1b study in influenza to optimize our results in humans. In parallel, we are aggressively pursuing development programs for nanoemulsion-adjuvanted vaccines for RSV and UTI, based on the promise we have seen with our influenza vaccine.”
Read the NanoBio press release.
Read the Clinical Vaccine Immunology article.
