The New York Times has reported that Hunein “John” Maassab, who developed the FluMist intranasal live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), died on February 1, 2014 in North Carolina. Dr. Maassab received a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Michigan in 1956 and subsequently joined the faculty of the School of Public Health at Michigan. He retired at the end of December 2002.
Maassab began development of the intranasal LAIV as early as 1960. In 1995, the University of Michigan entered into an agreement with Aviron for Phase 3 development. Aviron was acquired by MedImmune in January 2002, and in December of that year the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted that FluMist was safe and effective. The product was approved by the FDA in 2003.
Read the New York Times obituary.
