PPD boosts position in flu vaccine research
pharmafile | March 23, 2010 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â CRO, PPD, Southern Research Institute, vaccinesÂ
PPD is collaborating with the Southern Research Institute in the US to tap into the growing market for contract research in influenza vaccine development.
PPD said the link with Southern Research would allow it to offer clients “a full spectrum of seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccine development services”.
Southern Research focuses on the preclinical development of vaccines and therapeutics, offering in vitro and in vivo immunological assays and providing analyses of vaccine-induced immune responses.
Under the terms of the alliance, the company will transfer its seasonal assays and reagents to PPD, strengthening PPD’s flu vaccine testing services. In return PPD will help build Southern Research’s preclinical influenza and clinical pandemic/highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) testing business through client referrals.
The rationale for the alliance is clear, given that government orders for the H1N1 strain flu drove a market estimated at more than $5 billion and perhaps as much as $7 billion.
That demand – and the speed with which orders needed to be fulfilled – led to a lot of windfall business for both contract research organisations (CROs) and contract manufacturers.
Christine Dingivan, chief medical officer of PPD, said the Southern Research deal “enhances PPD’s position as the first CRO to offer a comprehensive menu of vaccine assay development and testing services to support vaccine clinical trials with faster, more cost-efficient laboratory solutions”.
Meanwhile, the pharma industry’s interest in vaccines goes well beyond flu, and has been spurred by a range of factors, including the emergence of new disease targets, a greater emphasis on disease prevention strategies by governments and high barriers to entry which reduce competition and give vaccines a longer lifespan than typical drug products.
Those factors could help the vaccine market triple in size between now and 2023, according to data from market research company Visiongain which says the global market was worth around $10 billion in 2009.
Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Pfizer (via Wyeth) and Merck & Co have pressed ahead with R&D in new vaccines at the same time as paring back research in other therapeutic categories.
PPD is just one of a number of CROs that have been boosting their capabilities in vaccine research in the last couple of years, mirroring the resurgence in interest by drugmakers in the development of vaccine products.
Last year, the CRO took over a vaccine testing and assay development lab formerly operated by drugmaker Merck & Co, while other CROs such as Charles River, Covance and Encorium say they have been expanding their vaccine units to cater for rising demand.
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