About the Universal Influenza Vaccine Technology Landscape
Overview
The Universal Influenza Vaccine Technology Landscape is a database of novel vaccine candidates designed to provide broader and more durable protection against circulating and pandemic influenza viruses, compared with current seasonal influenza vaccines. The Landscape encompasses a wide range of investigational technologies that have reached clinical or late preclinical stages of development; most of the clinical candidates are in active development, while some are inactive or discontinued. As a research tool, the Landscape is intended to facilitate efficient assessment of novel vaccine strategies and stimulate informed investments in the development of improved influenza vaccines overall.
The scope of investigational vaccine technologies included in the Landscape includes potentially universal, broadly protective, and next-generation influenza vaccines, which are defined in the Influenza Vaccine R&D Roadmap as follows:
- Universal influenza vaccine: Offers protection against all influenza A and B viruses, including seasonal viruses and existing or emergent zoonotic viruses with pandemic potential.
- Broadly protective influenza vaccine: Offers protection against multiple influenza viruses but does not meet the criteria for a universal vaccine. For example, a broadly protective vaccine could confer protection against all strains within a single HA subtype (subtype-specific), multiple HA subtypes within a single group (multi-subtype), all group 1 or group 2 influenza A viruses (pan-group), or all influenza B viruses.
- Next-generation influenza vaccine: Involves a different strategy than currently licensed seasonal vaccines to elicit protective immune responses against influenza viruses (e.g., uses different vaccine platforms or targets antigens other than, or in addition to, the variable HA head epitopes), demonstrating an improvement over current vaccines in durability, efficacy, or breadth of protection. Both universal vaccines and broadly protective vaccines could be considered next-generation vaccines, but next-generation vaccines also could include strain-specific vaccines if they offer significant public health advantages, such as greater durability or a 15% to 20% increase in effectiveness.
CIDRAP is developing the Landscape with support from the Global Funders Consortium for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development, which was established in 2017 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal is to compile, curate, and maintain information on universal influenza vaccine technologies and share the information online in a publicly accessible location. As an academic unit operating independently within the University of Minnesota, with no conflicts of interest regarding any influenza vaccine R&D activities or outcomes, CIDRAP serves as a neutral platform for gathering and analyzing influenza vaccine data. CIDRAP is developing and maintaining the Landscape in parallel with the ongoing IVR Initiative monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment effort.
Advisory Working Group
A small group of subject-matter experts in influenza vaccine R&D and/or vaccine database development advises CIDRAP on the development of the Landscape. Members of the advisory working group include:
- Joseph Bresee, Task Force for Global Health
- Martin Friede, World Health Organization (WHO)
- Jennifer Gordon, US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Deborah Higgins, PATH Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access
- Julia Molto Lopez, European Commission
- Sam Lee, US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
Methodology
The Landscape summarizes data from publicly available sources; no proprietary information is collected. Primary sources of information include:
- Clinical trial registries, such as ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), and the EU Clinical Trials Register.
- Peer-reviewed scientific literature, identified via PubMed, Google Scholar, and other search tools.
- Pharmaceutical and biotech company websites and industry news sources.
- Research sponsors, such as NIAID and BARDA.
CIDRAP updates the Landscape data continuously as new developments emerge. To ensure accuracy and completeness of the database, CIDRAP encourages feedback directly from researchers and developers via the online feedback form or via email at irv@umn.edu.