Experts Skeptical of Experimental Vaccine

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   Experts Skeptical of Experimental Birdflu Vaccines

USA: February 6, 2006

WASHINGTON -" Two teams working on better vaccines for use against a 

potential bird flu pandemic have announced progress in the past week, 

but influenza experts are skeptical.

The two labs both used a human cold virus, called an adenovirus, to carry 

pieces of DNA from H5N1 flu in a vaccine. Both labs - one at the US 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and one at the University of 

Pittsburgh Medical Center - were able to protect mice against fatal H5N1 

infections.

But neither study was even mentioned at a meeting of top US flu experts 

in Washington this week.

"It's just not that new," Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine expert at the 

University of Rochester in New York, said in an interview. "There are a 

zillion vaccines that protect in mice. On the grand scale of things, it's 

nowhere near to being a vaccine you would see in humans."

But developing new vaccines is a time-consuming and tricky business, 

and for the next few years the world is stuck with 40-year-old 

technology, no matter what happens in the lab, the experts, including 

manufacturers, said.

Researchers rely on an old-fashioned way of making vaccines against 

influenza that requires the use of chicken eggs and months of cultivation.

Several companies and private labs are working on a vaccine against 

H5N1. But because no one knows how it will mutate, they cannot be sure 

that any vaccine made now would protect against whatever pandemic 

strain eventually emerges.

Vaccines using cold viruses, using pure DNA, and using whole inactivated 

viruses are all being tried.

But because they use completely novel technology, they would have to be 

extensively tested in humans, who have different immune responses from 

other animals.

Chris Viehbacher, President of GlaxoSmithKline, which makes flu 

vaccines, said it would take years to approve entirely new approaches to 

flu vaccine.

If a pandemic comes before vaccine technology can be improved, Glaxo 

had counted on using the current vaccine formulation boosted with an 

aluminum adjuvant, he said in an interview on Tuesday.

Adjuvants are added to vaccines to help increase the immune response 

and may make it possible to stretch a vaccine supply.

Before boosting production and building new plants in the United States, 

Viehbacher said drug makers wanted better protection from lawsuits from 

people who may be harmed, or who may claim they were harmed, by 

vaccines."

 http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/34875/sto ry.htm

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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Experts Skeptical of Experimental Vaccine Posted: February 05 2006 at 5:04pm
	Experts Skeptical of Experimental Birdflu Vaccines USA: February 6, 2006 WASHINGTON -" Two teams working on better vaccines for use against a potential bird flu pandemic have announced progress in the past week, but influenza experts are skeptical. The two labs both used a human cold virus, called an adenovirus, to carry pieces of DNA from H5N1 flu in a vaccine. Both labs - one at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and one at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - were able to protect mice against fatal H5N1 infections. But neither study was even mentioned at a meeting of top US flu experts in Washington this week. "It's just not that new," Dr. John Treanor, a flu vaccine expert at the University of Rochester in New York, said in an interview. "There are a zillion vaccines that protect in mice. On the grand scale of things, it's nowhere near to being a vaccine you would see in humans." But developing new vaccines is a time-consuming and tricky business, and for the next few years the world is stuck with 40-year-old technology, no matter what happens in the lab, the experts, including manufacturers, said. Researchers rely on an old-fashioned way of making vaccines against influenza that requires the use of chicken eggs and months of cultivation. Several companies and private labs are working on a vaccine against H5N1. But because no one knows how it will mutate, they cannot be sure that any vaccine made now would protect against whatever pandemic strain eventually emerges. Vaccines using cold viruses, using pure DNA, and using whole inactivated viruses are all being tried. But because they use completely novel technology, they would have to be extensively tested in humans, who have different immune responses from other animals. Chris Viehbacher, President of GlaxoSmithKline, which makes flu vaccines, said it would take years to approve entirely new approaches to flu vaccine. If a pandemic comes before vaccine technology can be improved, Glaxo had counted on using the current vaccine formulation boosted with an aluminum adjuvant, he said in an interview on Tuesday. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to help increase the immune response and may make it possible to stretch a vaccine supply. Before boosting production and building new plants in the United States, Viehbacher said drug makers wanted better protection from lawsuits from people who may be harmed, or who may claim they were harmed, by vaccines." http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/34875/sto ry.htm

elbows Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List V.I.P. Member Joined: February 06 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 339	Post Options Post Reply Quote elbows Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 08 2006 at 1:15pm
	Isnt aluminium in vaccines a controvertial area? Also I thought steps were already being taken in law to protect drug makers from lawsuits?