Quadrivalent Ann Arbor strain live-attenuated influenza vaccine

Abstract

Influenza B is responsible for significant morbidity in children and adults worldwide. For more than 25 years, two antigenically distinct lineages of influenza B viruses, B/Yamagata and B/Victoria, have cocirculated globally. Current influenza vaccine formulations are trivalent and contain two influenza subtype A strains (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2) but only one B strain. In a half of recent influenza seasons, the predominant circulating influenza B lineage was different from that contained in trivalent influenza vaccines. A quadrivalent live-attenuated influenza vaccine (Q/LAIV) that contains two B strains, one from each lineage, has been developed to help provide broad protection against influenza B. Q/LAIV was recently approved for use in the USA in eligible individuals 2–49 years of age. This review summarizes clinical trial data in support of Q/LAIV.

Keywords::

• adults
• children
• clinical trials
• immunogenicity
• influenza B
• intranasal
• quadrivalent live-attenuated influenza vaccine
• safety

Acknowledgements

All of the authors contributed to the drafting and revision of the manuscript. All of the authors have seen and approved the final manuscript for submission.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

SL Toback, CS Ambrose and J Falloon are employees of MedImmune, LLC. SL Block has received grant/research support from MedImmune, LLC; RB Belshe and MJ Levin have consulted on research sponsored by MedImmune, LLC. The studies on quadrivalent live-attenuated influenza vaccines were conducted and sponsored by MedImmune, LLC. Authors were not compensated for drafting and/or reviewing the article. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Editorial assistance was provided by SE DeRocco and GP Johnson of Complete Healthcare Communications, Inc. and was funded by MedImmune, LLC.