Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $35 million contract in June of 2009 to Protein Sciences Corporation of Meriden, Conn., to pursue advanced development of recombinant influenza vaccine. The technology involves injecting flu virus genes into an insect virus (baculovirus) where it multiplies quickly in the insect cells, which are purified to become a part of a human vaccine. Providing accelerated production in the event of a pandemic, the process could provide a finished vaccine within 12 weeks of pandemic onset and supply 50 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine within six months. The contract will be administered by the Office of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within HHS.
