Washington, Aug 22 : A new vaccine that could help fight several strains of influenza has passed its first phase of testing, according to researchers at the University of Texas at Galveston.

Dr. Christine Turley, director of clinical trials and clinical research at the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development at UTMB and the study's principal investigator, said that VaxInnate's M2e universal vaccine could possibly protect against seasonal and pandemic influenza strains.

"We'd characterize this influenza vaccine candidate as very promising, based upon the immune responses and tolerability we saw in the clinical trial participants," Turley said.

"UTMB is committed to further studies of the vaccine candidate, which has the potential to be a safe, highly effective and much-needed option to prevent seasonal and pandemic influenza A," Turley added.

For the trial, researchers recruited 60 young adults in a double-blind, dose-escalating, first time in human, Phase I study to assess the safety and immunogenicity, or the ability to produce a response in the immune system, of the vaccine.

The trial was also designed to evaluate the methods used by VaxInnate to develop and produce flu vaccines.

The company uses a proprietary combination of toll-like receptor-mediated immune enhancement and recombinant bacterial production of vaccine antigen.

This proprietary technology could significantly decrease the time required to produce vaccine supplies sufficient to meet national demand, and provide a solution to international influenza vaccine needs which are unmet in all but the developed world.

The study will be presented at the Oct.25-28 joint meeting of the Interscience Conference on Agents and Chemotherapy and the Infectious Disease Society of America (ICAAC/IDSA).

ANI