NVAX shares continue steady advance

Shares of Novavax, a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine manufacturer, continued its steady climb today amid continuing concerns about the mutation influenza strains. FDA approval is several years away, but NVAX's novel approach to manufacturing recombinant vaccines has given them contracts to work with the National Institute of Health (NIH) and commercial commitments in India (with parrtner Cadila) and Spain (with partner Rovi).

http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/08/influenza-vaccine/

NVAX's VLP manufacturing platform accelerates vaccine production, reducing ramp up time from 6 - 8 months to 4 weeks. Facilities cost are also reduced by 90%. Yields are increased due to elimination of egg-based manufacturing process used by traditional vaccine makers. Most importantly, the VLP process could potentially enable the production of a "super vaccine", which provides immunogenicity for all mutated strains of influenza.

Disclosure: I am long NVAX shares.

Antigenic shift

The two words "antigenic shift" strike fear in the minds of immunologists and epidemiologists. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH):

http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/Flu/Research/basic/AntigenicShiftIllustration.htm
"The genetic change that enables a flu strain to jump from one animal species to another, including humans, is called antigenic shift."

When the mutation occurs, a more more lethal strain can develop. Today's article exposes this is already happening:

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/123818/New-swine-flu-mutation-far-more-deadly-

Let's hope the vaccines and anti-virals remain effective against mutated strains.