Grants and Contributions:

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Title:

Acceleration and Intensification of Cell Culture-Produced Influenza Vaccines for Rapid Response to Pandemic Situation

Agreement Number:

CHRPJ

Agreement Value:

$371,615.00

Agreement Date:

Apr 25, 2017 -

Organization:

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Location:

Quebec, CA

Reference Number:

GC-2017-Q1-00253

Agreement Type:

Grant

Report Type:

Grants and Contributions

Additional Information:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2020-2021)

Recipient's Legal Name:

Kamen, Amine (McGill University)

Program:

Collaborative Health Research Projects

Program Purpose:

Over the last decades, significant investments have been directed by the US Department ofx000D
Health and other national and international authorities to build capacities and implementx000D
preparedness plans to face influenza pandemic situations. During influenza pandemic,x000D
countries have increased vaccine demand for their own population and it is critical to havex000D
rapid availability of matched vaccines. However, it may be highly problematic to meet thex000D
expected vaccine demand with current egg-based manufacturing process, for instance in thex000D
case of an avian pandemic strain that could potentially disrupt the supply chain of eggs.x000D
Therefore, alternative production processes, including cell culture and plant-based productionx000D
platforms using recombinant technology, have been developed and validated followingx000D
recommendations from National and International Health authorities to develop alternativex000D
and complementary technologies for rapid and effective responses in emergency situations.x000D
Currently in Canada, influenza vaccine production is carried out by only one manufacturerx000D
using egg-based production technology. Although plant-based process and productionx000D
capacities are currently being developed by Medicago, for a solid and sustain preparednessx000D
plan to face influenza potential pandemics and other emerging infectious disease, it is highlyx000D
strategic for Canada to invest in cell culture produced viral vaccine capacities as it is the casex000D
in the US. Taking advantages of advanced technologies recently developed in the applicantsx000D
laboratories and cell-culture production capacities already operational at Pnuvax Inc., we aimx000D
to accelerate and intensify, by addressing the limitations at all process steps, thex000D
development and validation of a cell-culture production platform for pandemic influenzax000D
vaccines as a national alternative and complementary vaccines source.