From today's Australian:Bird flu vaccine a step closerBy Brett...

From today's Australian:
Bird flu vaccine a step closerBy Brett Foley
August 31, 2006 12:00am
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A NEW bird flu vaccine being developed by an Australian company has moved a step closer to commercial reality after US health authorities agreed to fast track its clinical trials.

Melbourne-based biotech BioDiem announced it had signed a two-year cooperative deal with US-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a cell culture candidate vaccine against avian influenza H5N1.

Under the research and development agreement, CDC Atlanta will conduct pre-clinical trials on a candidate vaccine developed by BioDiem and its Dutch partner Akzo Nobels Nobilon.

The vaccine, which has already been used in Russia to treat conventional flu, will have advantages over existing flu vaccines.

Currently, flu vaccines are grown in chicken eggs and can take at least three to four months to produce.

BioDiem's product is a live vaccine which can be administered as a nasal spray.

The new vaccine can be grown in cell culture instead of eggs, so it can be mass produced faster.

One dose will give coverage within a day of administration.

The CDC in Atlanta is the US government's leading site for research into the prevention and monitoring of high-risk bio-terrorist and pandemic diseases.

BioDiem shares closed steady at 25 yesterday.

Also featured on Radio National's AM programme at around 7.30 this morning AEST. Might be a transcript later in the day.
Cheers
JD