Proteosome-adjuvanted intranasal influenza vaccines: advantages, progress and future considerations

Abstract

The development of a safe and effective non-live intranasal influenza vaccine has been an elusive target in vaccinology for many decades. It is perceived that intranasal immunization, by offering a more convenient and less invasive vaccination modality, will boost vaccination rates against influenza, a disease that continues to inflict a significant annual health and economic burden worldwide. Intranasal immunization may also confer additional immunoprotective benefits by eliciting mucosal secretory antibodies at the site of entry of the virus, which are typically more broadly cross-reactive and cross-protective compared with those induced by systemic routes of vaccination. This property is highly desirable for confering improved protection against variant strains of influenza virus. Here we review the current status of intranasal proteosome-based influenza vaccines that comprise commercial detergent-split influenza antigens and proteosome adjuvants derived from purified bacterial outer membrane proteins. We demonstrate that these vaccines exhibit the desired advantages expected from immunization via the intranasal route. Furthermore, in clinical trials proteosome-based influenza vaccines were shown to be safe and protective in humans. The future possibilities for commercializing intranasal proteosome–influenza vaccines are also discussed.

Keywords::

• influenza vaccine
• intranasal immunization
• mucosal immunity
• proteosome-based adjuvants

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge all of their colleagues and collaborators for their contribution towards this body of work especially George Lowell, former Chief Scientific Officer of ID Biomedical, and David Jones, former senior scientist of ID Biomedical.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

All authors are currently employees of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals of North America and inventors on patents related to the proteosome technology. D Burt, M Plante, J Zimmermann, K Torossian and L Fries are eligible for GSK stock options. 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. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.