Baxter, DVC Enter Vaccine Development Pact

Baxter is collaborating with DVC LLC to develop cell-culture based influenza vaccines as part of a U.S. Government contract award to DVC. Baxter will develop seasonal and pandemic vaccines using its vero-cell technology, which has the potential to significantly reduce production time compared to traditional vaccine production methods using embryonated hens’ eggs. The development work will support the licensure of a seasonal vaccine and the completion of clinical trials for a pandemic vaccine. DVC will manage the overall project as well as the clinical trials during the five-year development effort. If approved by the FDA, Baxter would hold the product licenses for these seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines in the U.S. market.

Baxter will manufacture the candidate vaccines at its production facility in the Czech Republic. Under the terms of this agreement, a significant portion of the $41 million currently funded will go toward the development of the candidate pandemic vaccine and a seasonal influenza vaccine.

“We are very pleased that the U.S. Government has chosen DVC and Baxter to pursue this important program,” said Joy Amundson, corporate vice president and president of Baxter’s BioScience business. “The combination of Baxter’s vaccines technology and manufacturing capabilities with DVC’s experience with government vaccine programs establishes an experienced team to manage this important program.”