Project description
Next-generation flu vaccines
Influenza affects millions of people, with 500 000 casualties annually. Current vaccine effectivity is around 40 %, meaning that 60 % of those vaccinated are not sufficiently protected. The EU-funded INDIGO project involves public and private R&D organisations in the EU, India and United States for the development of two influenza vaccine concepts with the goal to achieve < 10 % instead of 60 % non-responders, lower costs and better accessibility. The first concept combines a low dose of a commercial, inactivated, seasonal flu vaccine with a novel adjuvant, aiming to obtain proof-of-concept in phase I and IIa trials within 5 years. The second concept is based on innovations including a recombinant viral hemagglutinin with increased immunogenicity, a potent adjuvant and needle-free delivery by intradermal patches. The plans are realistic with a high probability to deliver next-generation flu vaccines.
Objective
Despite the availability of flu vaccines for decades, influenza is still an important disease in both developing and developed countries with 500,000 casualties annually and many more people affected. From a global health perspective, the lack of effectivity, availability, affordability, and accessibility of flu vaccines significantly limits our ability to respond to the seasonal flu every year and in the event of a pandemic.
Currently, a low vaccine effectivity of 40% implies that 60% of vaccinated people are not sufficiently protected, with low confidence further contributing to limited uptake/immunization. Within INDIGO, public and private R&D organizations in India, EU and US collaborate on the development of two novel influenza vaccine concepts that meet the requirements of global vaccination, aiming to achieve less non-responders, lower costs, and better accessibility:
1) TETRA-LITE, an affordable seasonal flu vaccine with high efficacy at low cost and possible exploitation within a few years after completion of the project; and
2) PANDEMIC-PLUS, a further improved flu vaccine concept dealing with technological shortcomings and challenges of wide-spread use.
The first approach combines a low dose of a commercial, inactivated, seasonal flu vaccine with a novel, potent adjuvant CMS (LVA). The adjuvant was tested in humans for the first time within the INDIGO project and was proven safe and well tolerated. When combined with just one-fifth of the standard flu vaccine dose, CMS induced immune responses comparable to full-dose vaccines without adjuvants. This suggests significant potential for antigen sparing, which could lead to more cost-effective vaccine production.
The second approach builds on three innovations: 1) a novel recombinant HA with increased immunogenicity, 2) novel adjuvants, and 3) an easy, needle-free delivery by intradermal patches.
Contra-productive parts of HA have been removed to increase the immunogenicity of influenza epitopes. The adjuvants further stimulate protective immunity and immunological memory. The use of intradermal patches opens possibilities for self-administration, which will improve vaccine uptake in developing as well as developed countries. These plans differ in complexity and timelines but can all contribute to delivering next-generation flu vaccines for the globe.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health epidemiology pandemics
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases RNA viruses influenza
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.1. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3.1.2. - Preventing disease
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
RIA - Research and Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.