Sanofi Pasteur and Xiamen University to research flu vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur has announced a new collaboration with Xiamen University in China that will advance its universal flu vaccine research programme.

The alliance between the healthcare company and the university's National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in infectious diseases will involve early research and related immunological studies that could pave the way for a universal vaccine's creation.

Following the signing of a formal partnership agreement between the two organisations, Sanofi Pasteur will be able to take advantage of Xiamen Unversity's world-class research on the identification of monoclonal antibodies for universal coverage against influenza viruses.

This research will complement Sanofi Pasteur's existing efforts to find new means of treating conditions such as dengue fever, tuberculosis, AIDS and hospital-acquired infections worldwide.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the company received European regulatory approval for Hexyon, a new six-in-one paediatric vaccine covering a wide range of conditions that affect children, including diphtheria, hepatitis B and pertussis.