UNISEC · Universal Influenza Vaccines Secured

UNISEC brings together a European consortium of 3 University partners, 5 National Health Institutes and 3 SMEs, all with leading expertise in influenza vaccine research and development, to work on promising recently developed concepts for a universal influenza vaccine. The consortium is exceptionally strong, interdisciplinary and intersectional in nature, and encompasses a unique combination of scientific and technological expertise from lead identification to clinical trial execution.UNISEC will bring a number of vaccine concepts together into a single study in order to identify, develop and clinically test the 3 most promising leads for a universal influenza vaccine, which must (1) demonstrate adequate (universal) protection, and (2) be technically suitable for development to a marketable product.Preclinical and clinical methodologies will be developed allowing a comparative evaluation of the vaccine concepts. Head-to-head comparisons in animal models will also be performed, with the most promising concepts to then be ready for clinical assessment. Independent comparative clinical studies will be executed and carried out by 5 established Clinical Trial Site partners.The expected impact of the UNISEC work programme will be the resolution of current problems of non-uniformity in the development and evaluation of universal influenza vaccines in Europe by a unified approach using an expert and sustainable vaccine expertise network. The UNISEC results will directly contribute to a timely, longer-term, broader, more effective and cost-effective universal influenza vaccine for the prevention of annual and pandemic influenza.The success of UNISEC will be based on the leading experience of its consortium partners; the proven track record of its clinical trial site partners; and a coherent and well-defined management structure and dissemination program, underpinned by the fact that several UNISEC partners were previously part of the successful EU FLUSECURE project.