Wellcome Trust influenza activities

In response to the unfolding events surrounding H5N1 'avian' influenza since 2001 and more recently the unfolding pandemic due to swine-origin H1N1 influenza, the Trust has been working with UK and international partners to improve understanding and develop policy responses to these diseases. A snapshot of our activities is provided below:

Mechanisms of lung injury and immunomodulator interventions in influenza meeting: 21 March 2010
The Trust has been working with colleagues at BARDA and other US governmental agencies to organise a joint meeting on the mechanisms of lung injury and possible value of immunomodulator therapies. This workshop aims to review current understanding of lung injury in acute influenza and to describe cellular and molecular mechanisms of lung injury that are common to influenza and other pathogens. In addition, therapeutic agents that target host response proteins and pathways will be identified and investigational agents in development will be reviewed. The workshop will take place on 21 March 2010 Ventura, California. Register here.

Pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza studies in the UK

Human based studies
In response to the recent H1N1 pandemic declared by the World Health Organization, the Wellcome Trust, the Department of Health and the Medical Research Council (MRC) convened a meeting to develop priorities for maximising the research potential of the evolving pandemic in the UK. There was a strong consensus for clinical cohort studies in order to assess both severe hospitalised influenza infections and mild to moderate influenza infections occurring in the community.Consortia bids were developed proposing research addressing hospitalised and community infections, including vaccine and non-pharmaceutical intervention studies.
Workshop on Pandemic Clinical Research meeting report [PDF 1.08MB]

Animal based studies
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency convened a meeting with UK funding bodies (Wellcome Trust, MRC, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) at the Trust to prioritise strategies to study the novel swine-origin H1N1 virus in swine. Urgent research questions were identified, including the impact and consequences of spread of the novel swine-origin H1N1 virus in swine populations. Collaborative consortia bids were developed leading to funding of the Combating Swine Influenza (COSI) initiative.
Workshop on pandemic H1N1 research in swine [PDF 48.5KB]

Working with the WHO

Vaccines for pandemic H5N1 and pandemic threats
The Trust is working with the WHO's expert advisory group on vaccination, Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), to develop recommendations for the use of 'inter-pandemic' influenza vaccines.
SAGE recommendations on the use of licensed human H5N1 influenza vaccines in the interpandemic period [PDF 508KB]
Full report [PDF 1.4MB]

Paper produced by the Trust to inform SAGE: Evans D et al. “Prepandemic” immunization for novel influenza viruses, “swine flu” vaccine, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and the Detection of Rare Severe Adverse Events. J Infec Dis 2009;200:321-328.

New vaccine technologies
The Trust assisted the WHO in its latest annual meeting to discuss progress with H5N1 vaccine development.
Report of the 5th meeting on the evaluation of pandemic influenza prototype vaccines in clinical trials: World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 12-13 February 2009 [PDF 192KB]

The Trust and the WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research (IVR) jointly organised the 4th Meeting on Influenza Vaccines that Induce Broad Spectrum and Long-lasting Immune Responses, at the Wellcome Trust in London, 9-10 November 2009.

The Trust is also helping to support the 6th Meeting on Evaluation of Pandemic Influenza Vaccines in Clinical Trials, Geneva, Switzerland, 18-19 February 2010.

Developing an influenza road map

With its international partners, the Trust is developing a research 'road map' to examine research gaps to improve scientific understanding of influenza - in the areas of vaccines and prevention; therapeutics and disease pathology; and population sciences.
First meeting of the Influenza Scientific Advisory Group - executive summary [PDF 116KB]

Convalescent plasma and Ig-based therapies for influenza treatment meeting

On 7 September 2009, the Wellcome Trust held a meeting of experts from the scientific and clinical communities to discuss and explore possibilities for conducting a trial of convalescent plasma and/or immunoglobulin (Ig)-based therapies in the near term for seriously ill patients hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 illness. The idea for this proposal came from observations in both the 1918 pandemic and during the H5N1 ('bird flu') outbreak indicating that convalescent blood product treatment seems to improve patient survival.
Report of the plasma therapy meeting [PDF 60KB]

Biomedicine Forum 2008

In preparation for a 'high level' discussion event on Pandemic Influenza in November 2008, the Trust produced a background briefing presentation to inform participants.
Biomedicine Forum briefing [PDF 2.18MB]