venture capitalist are pouring millions of pounds into influenza research

The pharmaceutical company Inovio Biomedical is reporting that clinic results from a DNA based flu vaccine had produce good results.  They claim that mice treated with their vaccine and who were given a lethal dose of the deadly H5N1 influenza virus survived and only experienced slight weight loss. Inovio Biomedical announced that the results could mean that this DNA vaccine could be used to protect against regular seasonal influenza as well as more serious pandemic influenza strains.

Ukmedix News regularly receives reports of scientific advances in treating the H5N1 bird flu vaccine and pharmaceutical companies and scientists are keen to trump any progress that they make. At the same time they should also be noted that the testing has only been done on mice and therefore Inovio Biomedical cannot claim to have found a definite bird flu vaccine which would prevent humans from dying in an all out bird flu pandemic.

A bird flu vaccine which could definitely protect humans from the H5N1 variant of the virus would be worth billions of pounds and governments, corporations, families and individuals would all immediately get themselves immunised. The company which finds this vaccine would immediately have its order book full for years to come. For this reason pharmaceutical companies and venture capitalists are pouring millions of pounds into influenza research.

At present the most effective medication to protect yourself against the H5N1 bird flu virus is the medication Tamiflu made by Roche. The World Health Organisation has advised nations all round the world that they should have enough of the drug available to be able to treat 25 percent of their populations. Some countries have even ordered more than the WHO recommended amount and have also ordered large quantities of the other influenza medication Relenza.

Meanwhile the quest continues to find that definite influenza vaccine which could save millions of lives.