Cytos Biotechnology and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will collaborate to develop and commercialise a virus-like particle vaccine to manage influenza infections.
The collaboration allows Switzerland-based Cytos to hold the sub-licensable rights to further develop and commercialise the vaccine and A*STAR subsidiaries to produce the vaccine for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
The programme allows evaluation of the vaccine in pre-clinical safety and efficacy studies by Singapore’s DSO National Laboratories and in a proof-of-concept study to also understand its capacity to induce virus-neutralising antibodies.
The multi-agency project could establish an independent supply of vaccines for ASEAN countries to target the influenza hemagglutinin protein.
The project also involves collaboration with the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and the Experimental Therapeutics Centre to better understand the nature of an influenza pandemic.
