A collaboration between GE Healthcare (UK) and Novavax (MD, US) seeks to increase manufacturing capacity and vaccine stockpiles to counter the threat of a global avian flu pandemic. The global demand for pandemic influenza vaccine has been reported as possibly approaching 13 billion doses but, at best, current world capacity is only 2.4 billion doses. The collaboration will take advantage of GE Healthcare's bioprocess solutions and design expertise, and Novavax's virus-like particle (VLP) and manufacturing platform.

Novavax's VLP-based H5N1 pandemic flu vaccine is currently in Phase I/IIa clinical trials. The goal is that any required recombinant vaccine could be produced in cell culture, without using eggs or live influenza virus, within 12 weeks of identification of the pandemic strain — as little as half the time compared with currently available processes. Dr Rahul Singhvi, president and CEO of Novavax, says: "This collaboration is a critical milestone in addressing one of the most pressing global healthcare issues of the 21^st century. We believe the combination of these technologies will enable the creation of a country's rapid response supply and self-sufficiency in pandemic flu vaccine."

GE Healthcare's role in the partnership will be to utilize its portfolio of ready-to-use systems and devices, designed to increase speed, simplicity and safety for all areas of bioprocessing, to build and validate the new facility. The company believes that it could enable commissioning of a new facility from scratch in approximately 2.5 years, half the time for a traditional egg-based vaccine production facility, and at a potential capital reduction of approximately 60%.

www.gehealthcare.com