TORONTO, May 30 /CNW/ - A small Canadian company's discovery has enormous implications for defending the human population from the next deadly outbreak of influenza.
As described in an article published today in Vaccine, an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal, Microbix Biosystems Inc. of Toronto has discovered a process that significantly boosts influenza vaccine production output. As a result of this discovery, there is now a relatively fast, simple, and cost-effective way to potentially double the amount of flu vaccine manufactured each year. The ability to quickly ramp up global vaccine production will be critical in a pandemic situation.
Microbix also announced today that the U.S. Patent Office has indicated that it will issue a patent to the company on this technology. Patents are also being allowed in Canada and India, and a number of other applications in major markets are currently pending.
Annual global flu vaccine production capacity is currently about 350 million doses. The World Health Organization, in its Global Vaccine Action Plan, noted that if an influenza pandemic were to occur, the potential vaccine supply would fall far short of the amount needed.
Among all the strategies outlined in the WHO's Action Plan, increased production yields was identified as "the most direct mechanism to make more doses available." The Microbix process, if adopted worldwide, would increase that amount to at least 700 million doses.
William J. Gastle, CEO of Microbix, said the company's yield enhancement technology "will allow vaccine manufacturers to expand capacity, enabling them to better respond to a pandemic in their regions and better compete in the seasonal flu vaccine market." Microbix plans to license the technology on a non-exclusive basis.
Dr. Ken Hughes, one of the authors of the report and Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Microbix, said the technology can be implemented by manufacturers in less than a year, and could even be in place in time for the flu season in 2008.
The process works by increasing the virus yield from eggs. Manufacturers use chicken eggs to incubate flu viruses which are then used in the production of vaccines, but much of the virus is attached to debris which is routinely discarded. Microbix has found a way to retrieve this material and recover the virus, thereby boosting yield.
The Microbix technology has been validated in independent testing. A study led by Dr. Todd Hatchette, Director of Virology and Immunology at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, confirmed that the process doubled the amount of virus recovered.
Microbix specializes in developing proprietary biological technologies, including biotherapeutic drugs, vaccine technologies and animal reproduction technologies. It has been researching and developing the flu vaccine yield enhancement technology for a number of years, with a team at the company's Toronto laboratories spearheading these efforts.
"We have always believed in this technology. This is something important," said Gastle. "So today we are delighted with the international recognition, and we're eager now to play a role in extending vital vaccine protection to many millions of people around the world."
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements such as the risks associated with licensing the technology to vaccine manufacturers. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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