FluGen reports positive Phase II results with H3N2 flu vaccine candidate

Privately-held FluGen, a clinical-stage US vaccine developer, today announced the publication of results from its Phase II human challenge study of Bris2007 M2SR, the company’s investigational, supra-seasonal, live, single-replication, intranasal influenza (flu) vaccine.

Results published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases show that subjects with vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies were protected against infection and illness following challenge with an antigenically distinct virus. This is believed to be the first demonstration of vaccine-induced protection against a highly drifted H3N2 influenza virus in a human challenge study. The study was supported by a $15.4 million grant from the US Department of Defense.

“Current vaccines are strain-specific and in recent years they have had low efficacy against H3N2 influenza, especially when the vaccine is mismatched to circulating virus,” said Dr Robert Belshe, the Diana and J Joseph Adorjan Endowed Professor of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Emeritus, at Saint Louis University, and chairman of the FluGen clinical advisory board.