FIVE COMPANIES WON MORE THAN $1 BILLION IN CONTRACTS TO DEVELOP BETTER INFLUENZA VACCINES, AND TO MAKE THEM ON U.S. TERRITORY, THE U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID ON THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. GLAXOSMITHKLINE WAS AWARDED $274.75 MILLION, MEDIMMUNE WAS AWARDED $169.46 MILLION, NOVARTIS VACCINES WON $220.51 MILLION, COMPUTER SCIENCES CORP. UNIT DYNPORT VACCINE CO., WORKING WITH BAXTER INTERNATIONAL, WON $40.97 MILLION AND SOLVAY PHARMACEUTICALS WON $298.59 MILLION. THE COMPANIES WILL WORK TO DEVELOP CELL BASED-VACCINES TO FIGHT SEASONAL INFLUENZA OR A PANDEMIC STRAIN. THE NEW VACCINES WILL BE GROWN IN LABS IN BATCHES OF CELLS CALLED CELL CULTURES, HHS SECRETARY MIKE LEAVITT SAID. THE NEW METHOD AIMS TO REPLACE OLDER, EGG-BASED SYSTEMS, WHICH REQUIRE STEADY SUPPLIES OF CAREFULLY GROWN EGGS AND MONTHS OF CULTIVATION. THE TARGET IS BOTH THE ANNUAL SEASONAL FLU, AND THE H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA SPREADING AMONG BIRDS. THE VIRUS DOES NOT YET EASILY INFECT PEOPLE BUT IT HAS KILLED MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE. EXPERTS FEAR IT COULD MUTATE INTO A FORM THAT COULD SPREAD EASILY AND QUICKLY AMONG PEOPLE. IF IT DID, IT WOULD SPARK A PANDEMIC AND WORK WOULD HAVE TO BEGIN QUICKLY ON A VACCINE TO FIGHT IT. LEAVITT SAID THE GOAL IS TO HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE FOR EVERY AMERICAN WITHIN SIX MONTHS AFTER A PANDEMIC IS DECLARED, REUTERS REPORTED. "CELL-BASED VACCINE PRODUCTION IS MORE RELIABLE. IT'S ALSO MORE FLEXIBLE AND MORE SCALABLE THAN TRADITIONAL EGG-BASED VACCINES," LEAVITT SAID. EXPERTS HAVE BEEN URGING THE UNITED STATES FOR YEARS TO HELP COMPANIES MODERNIZE INFLUENZA VACCINE PRODUCTION. THE CURRENT, 40-YEAR-OLD TECHNOLOGY IS UNWIELDY AND UNRELIABLE, AND IT TAKES MONTHS TO DETERMINE HOW MANY VACCINES WILL BE AVAILABLE IN A GIVEN YEAR. HHS ALSO HAS WORRIED THAT ALMOST ALL FLU VACCINES ARE MADE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. IF COUNTRIES ACTED TO KEEP VACCINE SUPPLIES FOR THEIR OWN CITIZENS DURING A PANDEMIC, VACCINES MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR AMERICANS. --MORE 2326 Local Time 2026 GMT
