Variables in flu vaccine production: Adimmune

(ChinaPost.com.tw) – The price of a planned domestically developed vaccine against the influenza A(H1N1) virus, better known as swine flu, will be competitive compared to imported vaccines, but variables still exist in the development process, Adimmune Corp. said Thursday.

While inaugurating its new plant in Taichung County, central Taiwan, the management of Adimmune Corp. — the only company in Taiwan qualified to mass produce the A(H1N1) vaccine — said the price of the domestically developed vaccine could be controlled to remain as low US$10 per dose, compared to 10 euros or US$15-US$20 per dose for counterparts quoted on the international pharmaceuticals market.

Adimmune has received vials of the virus strain for vaccine production from four World Health Organization (WHO) -authorized labs in Australia, Britain and the United States but has yet to decide which strain to use for domestic development, said Ignatius Wei, deputy CEO and president of Adimmune.

Adimmune will produce the vaccine based on chicken embryos, said Chang Chin-chuan, vice president of the company.

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