Acambis, a UK firm, has a vaccine which targets influenza-A is ready for clinical trials, which will be conducted in the U.S. Influenza-A is the strain of the virus that has been responsible for flu pandemics.
The vaccine focuses on the M2 protein of the influenza-A virus, the extracellular part (M2e) which is highly conserved in all A strains. Pre-clinical data has shown that the vaccine has been successful in inducing M2e antibodies.
By targeting the M2e protein, which is conserved by the A-strain, the company hopes that the vaccine for influenza will not have to change year to year due to mutations in the virus. The vaccine could also offer multi-year protection against the flu.
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