Preflucel®: a Vero-cell culture-derived trivalent influenza vaccine

Expert Rev Vaccines. 2012 Jul;11(7):759-73. doi: 10.1586/erv.12.55.

Abstract

Vaccination is the principal means to reduce the impact of influenza infection. Effective vaccination programs require a reliable and safe production system. Traditionally, influenza vaccines are produced in embryonated chicken eggs. Over the last two decades, new cell culture-derived vaccines have been licensed and manufactured, and other vaccines are still in various phases of development. Vero cells have been used for the development of a wide variety of vaccines including influenza vaccines. Pandemic and avian influenza vaccines derived from Vero cells have been shown to be well tolerated and immunogenic in animal and Phase I-II clinical studies. A Phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a trivalent influenza vaccine produced in Vero-cell culture was conducted in 7250 adults aged 18-49 years. Overall protective efficacy for antigenically matched influenza vaccine was 78.5%. The vaccine was well tolerated with no treatment-related serious adverse events and compared favorably with egg-derived vaccines from previous trials. Vero-cell-derived influenza vaccines have the potential to be an important parts of the influenza vaccine strategy, especially if an avian-derived strain becomes predominant or the demand outstrips the capacity of egg-based production systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Humans
  • Influenza A virus / growth & development
  • Influenza A virus / immunology*
  • Influenza A virus / pathogenicity
  • Influenza Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Influenza Vaccines / biosynthesis
  • Influenza Vaccines / immunology*
  • Influenza, Human / diagnosis
  • Influenza, Human / immunology
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control*
  • Influenza, Human / virology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vaccination* / adverse effects
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology
  • Vero Cells

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • Influenza Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Synthetic