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influenza vaccine (Ultravac / Ultravak)

✓ Approved

Microgen · Vaccine · Vaccine

What is influenza vaccine?

influenza vaccine is a vaccine developed by Microgen. It is approved for therapeutic indications via inhaled.

Drug Profile

Brand NamesUltravac, Ultravak
CompanyMicrogen
Drug ClassVaccine, Large Molecules
RouteInhaled
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Microgen

Related Research Articles

PubMedBMC infectious diseases2026-06-09

Asymmetric post-pandemic recovery of influenza A and B since 2020 in Hong Kong: an interrupted time-series (ITS) analysis of weekly surveillance data with subtype and lineage characterization.

Yang Ling L, Riaz Muhammad M, Rahman Najm Ur NU

Influenza circulation declined markedly worldwide after the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020. Although early suppression was widely documented, less information is available on how influenza activity returned during later years, particularly for influenza A and influenza B and their subtype or lineage distributions. Weekly laboratory surveillance data from Hong Kong covering 2014-2024 were analyzed using interrupted time-series regression. Weekly numbers of tested specimens were included as an offset. Epidemiological week 1 of 2020 was used as the primary interruption point. Influenza A subtype activity, A(H1) and A(H3), and influenza B lineage activity, Victoria and Yamagata, were also examined descriptively. Other respiratory viruses (ORV) were included for general comparison. Both influenza A and influenza B declined sharply during early 2020, although the decline was greater for influenza B. Influenza A activity increased again during later years, with recurrent seasonal peaks and variation in the relative activity of A(H1) and A(H3). Influenza B remained at comparatively low levels through much of the post-2020 period. Among characterized influenza B viruses, most detections belonged to the B/Victoria lineage, whereas B/Yamagata was not identified in later surveillance data. ORV circulation showed greater variability after 2020 and did not follow the same pattern observed for influenza. Recovery patterns differed between influenza A and influenza B after 2020 in Hong Kong. Influenza A circulation resumed gradually, whereas influenza B activity remained lower and lineage diversity was reduced. Continued surveillance at the level of virus type, subtype, and lineage may help identify future changes in influenza circulation during the post-pandemic period.

PMID 42260354
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PubMedThe protein journal2026-06-09

Comparison of Immunogenicity of Cood-Cotd, CfaB-st-CfaE, and Cssa-Cssb-ltb Chimeric Proteins and Their Chitosan Nanoparticles Against ETEC in an Animal Model.

Zarei Behnam B, Amani Jafar J, Haghighat Setareh S

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) remains a major cause of diarrheal disease, and colonization factors together with enterotoxins are key targets for vaccine development. In this study, three ETEC-derived chimeric proteins, Cssa-Cssb-LTB, CfaB-ST-CfaE-LTB, and CooD-CotD, were produced and evaluated in free and chitosan nanoparticle-formulated forms. The recombinant proteins were expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) using the pET-28a vector, purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, and confirmed by western blotting. Chitosan nanoparticles containing each recombinant protein were prepared and used for immunization of BALB/c mice. Antigen-specific antibody responses were assessed by ELISA. Cssa-Cssb-LTB was purified under soluble/native conditions, whereas CfaB-ST-CfaE-LTB and CooD-CotD were purified under denaturing conditions. The mean sizes of nanoparticles containing Cssa-Cssb-LTB, CfaB-ST-CfaE-LTB, and CooD-CotD were 121.5, 24.93, and 63.22 nm, respectively. Immunological evaluation showed that the cocktail formulation induced the strongest immune response, followed by the oral-injection regimen. The recombinant chimeric proteins induced marked humoral immune responses, and formulation in chitosan nanoparticles enhanced their immunogenic potential. These findings support the potential of chimeric antigen-loaded chitosan nanoparticles as a promising strategy for ETEC vaccine development.

PMID 42262472
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PubMedRheumatology (Oxford, England)2026-06-09

Prospective evaluation of recombinant Herpes zoster vaccine in systemic sclerosis: immunogenicity, safety, and disease outcomes.

Luppino-Assad Ana Paula AP, Mello Renata P RP, Medeiros-Ribeiro Ana Cristina AC, Aikawa Nadia E NE et al.

to evaluate humoral immune response to recombinant zoster vaccine(RZV) in immunosuppressed patients with systemic sclerosis(SSc) compared with healthy controls, to identify factors influencing vaccine response, and to assess RZV safety and impact on patient-reported outcome measures(PROMs) and disease activity(DA). A sub-analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 76 immunosuppressed SSc patients and 304 healthy controls(CG) receiving two RZV doses. SSc patients were randomized to receive two initial doses of RZV or placebo; after unblinding, the placebo group received two doses of RZV. Anti-glycoprotein-E antibodies were measured at baseline and six-weeks post-second dose. Geometric mean concentrations(GMCs) and factor increase(FI) were calculated. Cell-mediated immunogenicity (CMI) was evaluated. DA and PROMs were assessed using standardized instruments. Body mass index(BMI) defined nutritional status. SSc patients(47.4%diffuse/52.6%limited) were younger(53.0 vs 55.0 years, p= 0.002) and had lower BMI(p= 0.005) than CG. Humoral response were significantly lower in SSc compared with controls(92.6% vs 99.7%,p= 0.001). SSc patients showed significantly lower GMC(5.81 vs 12.6, p< 0.001) and FI(31.0 vs 59.4, p< 0.001) than controls, with comparable CMI(p> 0.05). Disease subtypes, demographic factors, immunosuppressive therapies or nutritional status did not predict impaired vaccine response(p> 0.05). Local adverse events were reduced in SSc patients(73.7% vs 86.5%,p= 0.024), while systemic reactions were comparable overall(59.2% vs 61.5%,p= 0.712). DA and PROMs outcomes remained stable(p> 0.05). RZV was well tolerated. Despite the high seroconversion rate, the immune response was significantly lower in magnitude compared with controls, without triggering DA or worsening PROMs. ∼50% lower antibody concentrations in SS raise concerns about long-term protection, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring. ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT05879419.

PMID 42261247
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PubMedBioorganic chemistry2026-06-09

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of polycyclic pyridone derivatives as potent influenza inhibitors.

Zhu Chengze C, Chen Dawei D, Wu Weibin W, Chen Xiaowu X et al.

Pandemics caused by influenza viruses remain a serious public health concern worldwide, despite the approval of many antiviral agents, in which baloxavir marboxil (BXM) as the first cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN) inhibitor demonstrates excellent efficacy. Clinical trials have shown that BXM faces emerging resistance (e.g., I38T mutation), compromising its efficacy against variants and urging the development of more effective inhibitors. In this study, a series of novel substituted polycyclic pyridone derivatives were designed and synthesized by replacing the dibenzothiepin scaffold of baloxavir with a dibenzocycloheptene to improve antiviral activities and reduce stereochemical complexity. The lead compound KJ001-12a exhibited potent antiviral activities against influenza A and B strains. Meanwhile, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations provided supportive evidence that compounds with a dibenzocycloheptene scaffold may be less affected by the hydrophobic interactions induced by the I38T mutation, which is consistent with the results of the cytopathic effect assay. By contrast, structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that chiral analogs require chiral resolution for optimal efficacy, and that the R,S diastereomer is the most potent configuration among these chiral derivatives, though these chiral derivatives showed slightly reduced activity compared to the achiral KJ001-12a. Influenza polymerase inhibitory activity assay and quantitative real-time PCR assays confirmed that KJ001-12a significantly inhibits the activity of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and reduce viral M2 mRNA and vRNA expression. Furthermore, KJ001-12a demonstrated favorable bioavailability (F = 40.25% in rats) and metabolic stability, outperforming baloxavir in pharmacokinetic profiles. These findings highlight KJ001-12a as a promising candidate with favorable resistance and pharmacokinetic properties worthy of further development.

PMID 42259148
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PubMedThe Lancet. Global health2026-06-09

Global health ethics in international collaborative research during policy transition: what can we learn from the proposed newborn hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau?

Moodley Keymanthri K, Rennie Stuart S, Earp Brian D BD

International collaborative research in Africa has raised ethical challenges for decades. The proposed newborn hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau is the latest case to crystallise concerns around potential exploitation of disadvantaged populations, drawing comparisons to Tuskegee and other research abuses. We argue that the decision to stop the trial was appropriate, but that the reasons most invoked in public debate are incomplete. The trial was designed to happen during a defined window before Guinea-Bissau's planned rollout of the universal birth-dose vaccination in 2027-28, when randomisation between the WHO-recommended birth dose and the existing local standard of care remained possible. Under what conditions, if any, could such research-comparing a local versus global standard of care during health policy transition-be ethically justified? We propose four conditions and assess the proposed trial against them. The trial potentially satisfies some of our proposed conditions but does not meet others owing to an absence of maternal hepatitis B screening despite high background prevalence, methodological shortcomings that threaten the interpretability of results, and governance deficiencies, including an absence of sponsor-country ethics review (required by the Declaration of Helsinki). We treat this trial as a cautionary tale offering important lessons for future research in low-resource settings undergoing policy transitions.

PMID 42259349
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PubMedHuman vaccines & immunotherapeutics2026-06-09

Safety and immunogenicity of 4CMenB and MenACWY-CRM meningococcal vaccines when administered concomitantly in healthy adolescents: A phase 3b, randomized, observer-blind study.

Hoberman Alejandro A, Atwi Jibran J, Silas Peter P, Prato Rosa R et al.

Meningococcal vaccination of adolescents/young adults is recommended in various countries, including the United States (US). This phase 3b, observer-blind study (NCT04318548) evaluated the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of serogroup B vaccine, 4CMenB, and quadrivalent conjugate vaccine, MenACWY-CRM, when co-administered to healthy individuals aged 16-18 y, as per US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations. Adolescents, who had received MenACWY vaccination ≥4 y previously, were randomized (N = 940; 1:1:1) to one of three groups to assess co-administration versus 4CMenB and MenACWY-CRM administered alone. Co-primary objectives were to demonstrate the non-inferiority of antibody responses after concomitant administration to antibody responses after 4CMenB (two doses administered 2 months apart) and MenACWY-CRM (single dose), as measured by human serum bactericidal assay (hSBA). Vaccine safety and reactogenicity were assessed as another primary objective. The co-primary endpoints were met: the lower limit of 2-sided 95% confidence intervals for all between-group ratios of hSBA geometric mean titers was >0.5 for the concomitant administration group versus 4CMenB group and MenACWY-CRM group. hSBA data after two 4CMenB doses and one MenACWY-CRM dose showed comparable between-group geometric mean ratios versus baseline, and percentages of participants with 4-fold rises in titers and titers ≥lower limit of quantitation. The safety profile of 4CMenB co-administered with MenACWY-CRM was comparable with that of 4CMenB administered alone. In conclusion, 4CMenB and MenACWY-CRM co-administration was well tolerated in adolescents aged 16-18 y and immune responses were comparable versus administration of each vaccine alone, which is consistent with a previous study of co-administration in infants.

PMID 42262312
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