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Day 1: Monday,
August 21
7:30 - 8:25 Registration and Morning
Coffee
Overcoming Challenges
8:25 - 8:35 Chairperson's
Remarks
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KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
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8:35 - 9:05 Human Respiratory Virus Diseases and Vaccine Prospects
Richard Spaete, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research, MedImmune Vaccines,
Inc.
Respiratory viruses are responsible for significant morbidity and
mortality annually worldwide. Immunologically naïve pediatric populations
are particularly at risk for repeated severe upper and lower respiratory
virus infections. Currently, no vaccine interventions are approved for
infants and children to prevent respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza
virus, and metapneumovirus infections. Reverse genetics technology enables
new approaches to the development of live attenuated viral vaccines that
offer the promise of inducing a balanced immune response to confer
protection against these respiratory viral pathogens.
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9:05 - 9:35 Technologies for Producing
Novel Vaccines
Ronald Ellis, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research &
Development, AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc.
Most technical applications for making new vaccines have been directed
toward developing new vaccines for diseases not previously approachable by
immunological interventions. The majority of available vaccines has been
directed to the prevention of infectious diseases rather than for therapy
of infected or diseased individuals. However, new technologies have
extended this scope to vaccines for noninfectious diseases and therapeutic
vaccines. This presentation will review the various technologies that are
being applied to develop novel vaccines.
9:35 - 10:05 Pandemic and Seasonal
Influenza Evolution Via Recombination - Selection of Vaccine Targets
Henry L. Niman, Ph.D., President & Founder, Recombinomics, Inc.
Pandemic H5N1 and seasonal H3N2 influenza rapidly evolve via
recombination. Identification of parental strains allows for prediction of
sequences of emerging virus prior to emergence. Data mining of sequence
databases also allows for prediction of time and location of significant
genetic changes, including altered affinity in the receptor binding
domain. Recombination rules can be used to identify novel vaccine targets
and increase lead time over emerging viruses.
10:05 - 10:45 Networking Coffee Break (Sponsorship Available)
Discovering Solutions
10:45 - 11:15 Epitope-Based Influenza
Vaccine with Cross-Strain Protective Efficacy
Ruth Arnon, Ph.D., Professor, Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of
Science & BiondVax
Our study aims at the design of an epitope-based Influenza vaccine
comprising a combination of several B- and T-cell epitopes encompassing
conserved regions of the viral proteins. These epitopes were individually
expressed within an immunogenic molecule, flagellin, which serves both as
a carrier and as an adjuvant. In animal models, intranasal administration
of the recombinant flagella led to efficient protection against challenge
infection with different strains of influenza virus. This approach may
lead to the development of a broad-spectrum influenza vaccine with
long-term efficacy.
11:15 - 11:30 Use of Conserved Influenza Antigens Linked to Immunostimulatory DNA (ISS) to Generate Broad Immunity to Divergent and Potentially Pandemic Virus
Strains.
Debbie Higgins, Senior Manager, Preclinical Programs, Dynavax
Technologies
Highly conserved nucleoprotein and M2e antigens linked to immunostimulatory DNA (ISS) induce strong cell mediated and humoral immune responses that protect against challenge with drift and shift influenza A strains. Co-administration of the NP-ISS and M2e-ISS conjugates with TIV also enhance antibody and cell mediated responses to TIV vaccine components.
11:30-11:45 Influenza Vaccines Exploiting the Link between Innate and Adaptive
Immunity
Lynda Tussey, Ph.D., Senior Director, Immunology, VaxInnate
Corporation
It is now well-established that the innate and adaptive immune responses are interconnected and coordinately regulated via a set of so-called Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs), the best-known family of which is the Toll-like Receptors (TLRs). TLRs are known to play a fundamental role in controlling the adaptive immune system and this has led to a consideration of TLR biology in the development of the next generation of vaccines for infectious diseases. While many adjuvants are now known to act via TLRs, they do so in a generalized fashion. Such uncontrolled activity can lead to unnecessary inflammation and toxicity. By physically linking vaccine antigens with TLR ligands, one can precisely control the delivery of the antigen in the appropriate co-stimulatory environment governed by the cognate TLR. We are applying this strategy to development of vaccines to influenza. Our results demonstrate that linking a conserved influenza antigen, M2e, to a TLR ligand significantly increases the immunogenicity of the antigen and provides protection against lethal virus challenge in the mouse model. The application of this strategy to seasonal and pandemic influenza will be discussed. |
11:45 - 12:15 Epitope Targeting:
Focusing the Antibody Response against Conserved Sites on HIV-1 and Other
Highly-Variable Pathogens
Jamie K. Scott, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Molecular Biology &
Biochemistry and Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
The development of vaccines that produce neutralizing antibodies
against a number of emerging, potential and presently-pandemic pathogens
is hampered by the variability of surface antigens mediating infection.
This presentation will cover the approach we are using to identify and
produce antibodies against highly-conserved epitopes on HIV-1 that mediate
antibody neutralization. Also presented is a general prime-boost approach
for targeting the antibody response against pre-selected, conserved sites
on a pathogen.
12:15-12:30 Intelligent Vaccines: The Development of Broadly Reactive Vaccines Against
Influenza
Dr. Francisco Diaz-Mitoma, Chief Executive Officer,Variation Biotechnologies
Inc.
The antigenic variability of RNA viruses has prevented the development of effective vaccines against HIV & Hepatitis C, has forced reliance on seasonal updates to our Influenza vaccines, and leaves us vulnerable to a pandemic. This presentation will focus on efforts to develop broadly reactive vaccines, the lessons learned, and how new technologies may allow impact the vaccine market.
12:30 - 1:40 Luncheon Technology
Workshop or Lunch on Your Own (Sponsorship
Available)
Vaccine Breakthroughs
1:40 - 1:45 Chairperson's Remarks
1:45 - 2:15 New Technologies for Improved Vaccines
Jeffrey Ulmer, Ph.D., Executive Director and Head, Immunology and Cell Biology, Chiron Corporation
This talk will focus on the discovery and presentation of novel antigens as well as the discovery and formulation of novel adjuvants. Dr. Ulmer will discuss new vaccine delivery systems, and will describe how to increase vaccine potency.
2:15 - 2:45 Development of Adenovector-Based Vaccines for Malaria
Joseph Bruder, Ph.D., Director, Vector and Vaccine Programs, GenVec, Inc.
Malaria is one of the most devastating diseases impacting public health worldwide. We are working towards development of a multi-valent, multi-stage, adenovector-based vaccine for malaria. This vaccine is designed to induce protective CD8+ T cell responses against parasite proteins expressed in the liver stage of the parasite life cycle, as well as antibody responses against parasite proteins expressed in the blood-stage. I will discuss our pre-clinical progress in generating and evaluating vaccine candidates.
2:45 - 3:15 NanoViricides: A Novel Approach to Controlling Viremia, Application to Avian Influenza
Anil R. Diwan, Ph.D., President, NanoViricides, Inc.
A nanoviricide(tm) is a nanomaterial drug that specifically targets, binds to, neutralizes and dismantles a virus particle, helping to control viremia. The virus-specificity is endowed to the nanoviricide by a virus-binding ligand attached to a patent-pending base polymer. Changing the ligand redirects the nanoviricide to a new virus. We have found that a nanoviricide that used a neuraminic acid-like ligand exhibited more than 50X efficacy enhancement over the free ligand against influenza in mice. We are now developing a nanoviricide specific to H5N1, called "AviFluCide-I." Our "Medicine Using Systems Engineering(tm)" approach and the results with influenza viruses will be discussed.
3:15 - 4:00 Networking Refreshment Break
(Sponsorship
Available)
4:00 - 4:30 Using Synthetic Materials to Design Subunit Vaccines that Mimic Pathogen Structure and Engineer Chemotaxis at Immunization Sites
Darrell J. Irvine, Ph.D., Eugene Bell Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Subunit vaccines are of interest for their potential safety and ease in manufacturing, but generally elicit less potent immunity relative to live or live attenuated vaccine vectors. We have sought to employ synthetic materials in the creation of particulate vaccines that serve as new tools to dissect the biology of immunization and provide a basis for the design of more potent subunit vaccines. First, we have synthesized nanoparticles designed to mimic key chemical/structural features of microbes, in order to understand how immune cells respond to infection and create vaccines based on a rational understanding of the function of dendritic cells in primary immune responses. Second, we have developed approaches to encapsulate chemokines in controlled release microspheres, as a strategy to engineer chemotaxis of dendritic cells at immunization sites. By combining these strategies, we can mimic the natural attraction of immune cells to infection sites, and specifically attract target cells to depots of nanoparticles for enhanced activation and antigen loading of dendritic cells. These approaches offer new possibilities for controlling events occurring in immunization, as well as new insights into how primary immune responses are regulated.
4:30 - 5:00 Whither Peptide Vaccines
Daniel Zimmerman, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research, Cellular Immunology, CEL-SCI Corporation
This talk will address the historical background of peptide vaccines and the changing cast of players who have been involved. Dr. Zimmerman will also detail the advantages and disadvantages of Peptide Vaccines, their requirements and current advances, and where the advances will lead. Examples of peptide vaccines in oncology, infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and other areas will be presented.
5:00 - 6:00 PANEL Discussion: Funding for Vaccines
Funding for Vaccines continues to be a contentious subject that often presents considerable frustrations for researchers and developers. Though the public clamors for protection from the threat of pandemics and infectious diseases, there is often a lack of understanding about what is needed to provide adequate facilities and lead time in order to generate ample product. Mutating viruses tend to stay at least a few steps ahead of vaccine production. And funding is scarce for providing vaccines where they are needed most—throughout the developing world. Join us in this discussion as experts from various vaccine pathways address this important issue.
David S. Cho, Ph.D., M.P.H., Influenza Product Development Program Officer,
Influenza, SARS, & Related Viral Respiratory Diseases Section, NIAID / NIH
Georges Thiry, Ph.D., Project Management, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
Daniel Zimmerman, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research, Cellular Immunology,
CEL-SCI Corporation
Douglas Holtzman, Ph.D., M.P.H., Senior Program Officer, Infectious Diseases Global Health Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Henry L. Niman, Ph.D., President & Founder, Recombinomics, Inc.
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6:00 End of Day One
For more information, please contact:
Mary Ruberry, Conference Producer
Phone: 781-972-5421 • E-mail: mruberry@healthtech.com
For exhibit and sponsorship information, please contact:
Suzanne Carroll, Manager, Business Development
Phone: 781-972-5452 • E-mail: scarroll@healthtech.com
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