Joint Swiss/Taiwan development of vaccines for avian flu

Switzerland-based AmVac AG has established a comprehensive collaboration with the National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan to combat H5N1, known colloquially as avian flu. It first occurred in Asia and was transmitted to humans in a number of cases.

AmVac's chief scientific officer, Michel Klein, attended the opening ceremony of the pilot plant Vaccine Centre of the NHRI in Taiwan, where it was resolved to launch a joint collaboration with the aim of developing a new avian flu vaccine. The Taiwanese scientists are to use the vaccine adjuvant MALP-2 from AmVac for this, as it is eminently suitable for absorption through the mucosal membranes. Thus, for the first time, a nasal spray that is safe and at the same time easy to handle, could be feasible as a vaccination product. Through the use of this innovative and highly potential adjuvant, AmVac says it is making a contribution to the development of a novel H5N1 vaccine: the immune system is strengthened effectively and permanently. At the same time, the implementation of the adjuvant makes it possible to reduce the quantity of the antigen used, which is often expensive. Therefore, large quantities of vaccine can be produced more quickly and at a lower price, says AmVac.