Vaccines are being designed with the help of AI to be able to tackle multiple forms of the bird flu virus, in the hope they could be used against a future pandemic.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is working with the Serum Institute of India (SII) – the world’s largest vaccine maker – to develop a vaccine platform which targets the H5N1 bird flu virus.
H5N1 represents one of the biggest potential sources of the next global pandemic.
“With a potential pandemic influenza vaccine candidate already in development on a validated platform, and with a vaccine manufacturing juggernaut ready to go,” said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, “the world’s disease defences will be poised to respond swiftly with new vaccines, potentially in 100 days, should a flu virus erupt into a potentially deadly and fast-spreading human pandemic”.
Supported by up to US$16.4 million funding from CEPI – a global coalition funded by over 30 governments – SII will compare a naturally occurring molecule which elicits an immune response – known as an antigen – with an AI-optimised broad spectrum antigen developed by the Houston Methodist Research Institute.
The institute uses machine learning to analyse viral genetic sequences and immune responses to predict the most effective antigen.
The broad spectrum approach is designed to elicit an immune response across multiple strains of the flu virus, making it particularly useful in an unpredictable outbreak situation.
The platform is based on baculovirus – an insect virus that can be genetically modified to produce an immune-response triggering antigen.