Newswise — A unique influenza vaccine candidate that’s inhaled and based on technology developed by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers is safe and could bolster protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza for people vulnerable to severe disease when they receive it in addition to the annual flu shot.
Those are the results of a randomized, controlled trial of the vaccine candidate, administered in nasal spray form in conjunction with the annual shot to a group of 65- to 85-year-olds in 2022. The findings were recently reported in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. Here are the details:
The vaccine candidate tested in this study, FluGen’s M2SR, is based on technology developed by UW–Madison researchers Yoshihiro Kawaoka and Gabriele Neumann more than a decade ago. It differs in a few ways from seasonal flu shots, which for decades have provided suboptimal protection against severe disease for vulnerable people:
In 2022, FluGen tested the vaccine candidate among more than 300 people in the United States between the ages of 65 and 85, assessing its safety and the immune response it elicited.
While the study was focused on assessing the vaccine candidate’s safety, data on the immune responses it elicited suggests that vulnerable seniors would be better protected from influenza if they receive both the flu shot and nasal spray vaccine.
“Older adults deserve better alternatives to prevent infection, illness and hospitalization from influenza and finally we believe we have one,” says Radspinner. “We hope existing manufacturers agree and will be working with them to find ways to make this a reality for patients sooner rather than later.”
This research is supported by the Department of Defense (W81XWH2110563). The content of this announcement does not necessarily represent the official views of DOD.
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