GE And Novavax Team On Flu Vaccine

GE Healthcare and Novavax will develop a pandemic influenza vaccine based on GE's disposable bioprocessing equipment and Novavax' viruslike particle platform for virus manufacturing. Novavax' H5N1 pandemic flu vaccine is currently in Phase I/IIa clinical trials. The partners are targeting the production of a recombinant vaccine in cell culture within 12 weeks of identifying a pandemic flu strain without using eggs or live viruses. Using the GE equipment, the partners say, they can build a new facility in two-and-a-half years—half the time required to start a new plant with the traditional egg-based vaccine technique. Earlier this year, GE acquired Wave Biotech, a maker of disposable plastic bioprocessing equipment (C&EN, June 4, page 20).