Biomedical corporation CytoDyn Inc. (Pink Sheets: CYDY) recently announced that the laboratory of Dr. Shan Lu at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) had provided CytoDyn with updated DNA-based H1 and H3 serotype influenza vaccines for the 2007-2008 flu season, giving the company a much-needed edge in the bio-pharmaceutical industry.According to a recent release, the DNA-based flu vaccines were updated in less than a month and a half – a much shorter amount of time than it would take to update the vaccine using a wild or natural virus – and plans on using both the H1 and H3 vaccines in clinical trials to evaluate the prime-boost method of vaccination, a type of vaccination developed by Dr. Lu that may provide better protection for those at risk of life-threatening complications from the seasonal flu, including the elderly and those who suffer from chronic diseases. In addition, the company has been sponsoring comparative studies of DNA-based vaccines for bird flu, and expects to hear back on the results within six weeks.
Calls made to CytoDyn were not returned.