GSK's pre-pandemic bird flu vacc shows cross-immunity on drifted H5N1 strains

UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline says that clinical trial data from two new studies showed significant cross-immunity for its pre-pandemic avian influenza vaccine. According to the firm, a split antigen H5N1 vaccine formulated with its proprietary adjuvant system, provided a substantial level of cross-immunity against a drifted strain of the H5N1 virus.

Commenting on the findings, Jean Stephenne, president, GSK Biologicals, said that "the data confirm that our pre-pandemic influenza vaccine has the ability to recognize and kill an H5N1 strain that is different to the one contained in the vaccine. This means that proactive administration of our pre-pandemic vaccine before or just after the start of the pandemic could help to substantially slow down the spread of disease."

GSK hopes that the immune response elicited with this vaccine could help prime the immune system to rapidly respond against variants of the H5N1 strain and, therefore, protect the vaccinated population in the event of an H5N1 human pandemic.