GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 15 (UPI) -- MedImmune said Thursday federal researchers have begun testing its intranasal vaccine for the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
"Our influenza vaccine technology may provide several advantages over the flu shot that will be critically important in protecting people against a pandemic influenza virus," said James Young, MedImmune's president of research and development.
"In pivotal clinical trials conducted in children six months to 59 months of age, our live, attenuated intranasal vaccine technology has been shown to be significantly more effective against seasonal A strains, including those both matched and not matched to the strains used in the vaccine," Young said.
"Additionally, because of its intranasal delivery, our technology may provide a faster and broader immune response, including providing both systemic and mucosal protection at the site where a flu infection takes hold -- which is in the nose," he added.
The phase 1 study, which is being conducted by the National Institutes of Health, will involve 20 healthy individuals who will receive two doses of the vaccine administered 28 to 62 days apart.
