Speed is key when dealing with the expediting of vaccines and in particular ones that battle the flu, and more specifically the H1N1 string that began hitting the world hard in 2009. In a tactical response this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded two company contracts today to help make vaccine available more quickly for seasonal flu outbreaks and pandemics. The contracts for advanced development of new types of vaccine total $215 million.

HHS awarded one contract to Novavax, Inc., of Rockville, Md., for $97 million over the first three years, which can be extended for an additional two years, for a total contract value of $179.1 million. HHS awarded a separate contract to VaxInnate, Inc. of Cranbury, N.J., for $117.9 million over the first three years, which can be extended for two additional years, for a total contract value of $196.6 million.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated:

"The 2009 H1N1 pandemic demonstrated the need for technologies that can provide vaccines more rapidly. These next-generation flu vaccines hold the potential to be even more effective and to make the first and last doses of vaccine available sooner than existing flu vaccines by weeks and months which can save more lives during a pandemic as well as during seasonal flu outbreaks."

In April 2009, an outbreak of Influenza-like illness occurred in Mexico and the USA; the CDC reported seven cases of novel A/H1N1 influenza. By April 24 it became clear that the outbreak of ILI in Mexico and the confirmed cases of novel influenza A in the southwest US were related and WHO issued a health advisory on the outbreak of "influenza like illness in the United States and Mexico." The disease then spread very rapidly, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 2,099 by May 7, despite aggressive measures taken by the Mexican government to curb the spread of the disease.

On June 11, 2009, the WHO declared an H1N1 pandemic, moving the alert level to phase 6, marking the first global pandemic since the 1968 Hong Kong flu. The World Health Organization declared the new strain of swine-origin H1N1 as a pandemic. This strain is often called swine flu by the public media. This novel virus spread worldwide and had caused about 17,000 deaths by the start of 2010. On August 10, 2010, the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza pandemic over, saying worldwide flu activity had returned to typical seasonal patterns.

On October 25, 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama officially declared H1N1 a national emergency.

Under its contract, Novavax is to develop new technology to produce vaccines using insect cells to express influenza proteins and create virus-like particles that stimulate a strong immune response in humans.

VaxInnate is developing a recombinant influenza vaccine technology based on combining influenza and bacteria proteins to stimulate strong immune response to protect against the flu.

The contracts are part of a national pandemic vaccine preparedness strategy, which includes the advanced development of new types influenza vaccines as well as expanding and diversifying domestic influenza vaccine production, and establishing and testing stockpiles of pre-pandemic vaccine.

On Aug. 19, 2010, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released an examination of the federal government's system to produce medical countermeasures, along with recommendations for a better approach. The recommendations included developing flexible, robust, nimble and innovate technologies to increase capacity and produce vaccines for pandemic influenza and other threats in a much shorter timeframe.

These recommendations were consistent with a report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, titled "Report to the President on Reengineering the Influenza Production Enterprise to Meet the Challenges of Pandemic Influenza." Both reports are available HERE.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Sy Kraft, B.A.