UK scientists to examine swine flu
pharmafile | April 29, 2009 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â h1n1Â
UK scientists will examine new samples of swine influenza as part of the global race to develop a vaccine against the rapidly spreading outbreak.
Fresh samples of the virus will be sent to the World Health Organisation's laboratory at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in London – one of five WHO centres collaborating on the research.
The process of creating a new vaccine could take four to six months. In the meantime scientists across the globe are already working on a quick diagnostic test to confirm whether or not people have the virus as soon as possible.
'Unusual' virus
Dr John McCauley, who works in the NIMR's Division of Virology, said the virus is 'completely unusual' and, although it has genes from swine influenza viruses it is not in a previously recognised form.
In a letter to the Telegraph, he added: "The worrying aspect of this virus is that it seems quite able to spread between humans and that the initial cases spreading from pigs may have been some time ago. The first cases in Mexico, now being recognised in humans, occurred four weeks or so ago."
New vaccines
Scientists at the NIMR will infect laboratory ferrets with the virus, as the animals can catch flu in a similar way to humans. They will analyse the antibodies found in the ferrets' blood to see if and how the virus is mutating and changing as it passes from person to person.
McCauley said the steps towards a new vaccine will be to make an 'isolate' in embryonated hens' eggs and develop from this a virus that can grow well in eggs. For seasonal influenza viruses this process would normally take a few months from isolation to a vaccine.
Three labs around the world have expertise in this kind of production – one in UK, one in the US and one in Australia. The technology will then be shared with pharmaceutical companies for manufacture.
Swiss pharma firm Novartis said it has received the genetic code of the new virus strain, which it has begun using to evaluate production of a future vaccine, and the company hopes to receive the actual virus in its laboratories in the near future.
"Our thoughts are with those that have been affected by this influenza outbreak. The health and welfare of people, including Novartis associates and their families, in the affected areas is of paramount importance," the company said in a statement.
GlaxoSmithKline – whose antiviral drug Relenza is being used to treat those with the virus – is another company on standby to help develop new vaccines, once a strain is available from the WHO.
GSK said it stands "ready to initiate discussions with local authorities for the manufacture of a vaccine" once a suitable candidate vaccine strain is made available by the WHO.
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April 28, 2009
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