BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd., an advanced clinical stage biotech company dedicated to improving protection against influenza, has announced that the company will be presenting at “The first World Health Organization's (WHO) integrated meeting on development and clinical trials of influenza vaccines that induce broadly protective and long-lasting immune responses” to be held in Hong Kong January 24-26, 2013.

Dr Tanya Gottlieb, Head of Business Development at BiondVax will present a lecture titled “Development and evaluation of a universal recombinant M-001 vaccine comprising epitopes from NP, HA and M1 proteins”.

The WHO is responsible for global surveillance of influenza (flu) and provides guidance to governments about preparing for and controlling influenza. This month there were the first reports in the media about a seasonal influenza outbreak. BiondVax's invitation to present at this conference reflects the Company's global recognition and success in advancing clinical development of its universal flu vaccine candidate M-001.

In 2012 BiondVax completed successfully a phase II trial in elderly, which confirms the results of three previous human trials demonstrating M-001's safety and activity against multiple influenza strains. In addition, the Company successfully passed a European qualified person (QP) good manufacturing practices (GMP) audit, the green light to perform human trials in Europe. Of note, M-001 has demonstrated two uses, as a universal flu vaccine and as an enhancer (primer) of current flu vaccines. This second indication is particularly relevant for the elderly, who do not respond well to current flu vaccines, and in the event of a pandemic, when stockpiled M-001 could be given to prime the population’s immune responses during the several months it takes to produce a pandemic-specific vaccine. Indeed, BiondVax recently reported results supporting that M-001 enhances the efficacy of the bird flu H5N1 pandemic vaccine.

Dr Tanya Gottlieb said, "The upcoming WHO meeting highlights the growing body of evidence that a game-changing influenza vaccine is an urgent unmet need requiring the attention of public health authorities worldwide. BiondVax's invitation to present at this WHO meeting reflects the promise of our universal flu vaccine candidate M-001. In particular, the distinctively advanced clinical stage of M-001's development - 4 clinical trials with 440 participants aged 18 to 91 years - and M-001's established capability to synergize with current seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines. Indeed, administration of M-001 before the H5N1 bird flu pandemic vaccine improved the performance of the pandemic vaccine such that one instead of two doses of the H5N1 pandemic vaccine was sufficient."