Influenza

Influenza, commonly referred as flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. In more serious cases, influenza causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly.
Influenza virus is spread from person to person by virus-contained aerosols (respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes).
Influenza rapidly spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics and imposes a considerable economic burden in the form of hospital and other health care costs and lost productivity. In annual influenza epidemics, 5-15% of the population is affected with upper respiratory tract infections. Worldwide, these annual epidemics result in about three to five million cases of severe illness, and about 250 000 to 500 000 deaths1.

Mymetics’ Influenza Vaccine Approach

A number of influenza vaccines are on the market, and all but one are vaccines that need to be injected. As injected vaccines are underused - usually people do not like to be injected - a large group at risk is not vaccinated. The only vaccine on the market which eliminates the need of injection is not totally secured because is based on a “live virus”2. Consequently it can potentially infect the recipient and cause pathologies.
Using its expertise area, Mymetics has developed an intra-nasal influenza vaccine that is based on virosomes and which does not contain a “live virus”. The vaccine, being administered in the nose, can therefore fight the virus at the mucosal level by developing not only mucosal antibodies but also blood antibodies. Consequently, the infection is stopped at the point of entry and prevents even the earliest onset of disease.
Status and Next Steps

Latest Results:

Mymetics’ vaccine has been licensed to Solvay Pharmaceuticals, a major European pharmaceutical company which currently has an influenza vaccine market share of 11%, worldwide.
Solvay Pharmaceuticals tested the vaccine on 110 people in a Phase I trial. The vaccine was found to be safe and well tolerated, resulting of a milestone payment from Solvay to Mymetics.