In order to meet the global demand for rapid production of pandemic influenza vaccines, we have developed a recombinant fusion vaccine platform in which the globular head of hemagglutinin (HA) antigen is genetically fused to bacterial flagellin (a TLR5 ligand). These flagellin-HA fusion vaccine candidates elicit highly protective immunity against a lethal challenge with 2009 pandemic H1N1 (Liu, et al. PLoS ONE 2011; 6:e20928) or H5N1 influenza A/Vietnam/1203/04 (A/VN) infections in mice (Song, et al. Vaccine 2009;27:5875-88). Here we provide the first evidence showing that two A/VN vaccine candidates elicited HA-specific IgG, reduced nasal virus shedding, and conferred full protection against a lethal A/VN infection in ferrets. Furthermore, we show that similar flagellin-HA vaccine candidates of two other H5N1 HPAIV are immunogenic and/or efficacious in mice. Vaccines of A/Indonesia/5/05 (A/IN) induced significant HAI titers to homologous and heterologous A/Anhui/1/05 (A/AN) H5N1 viruses. Two subcutaneous immunizations with doses of either 0.3 μg or 3 μg of A/IN candidates resulted in ≥ 2.5 log(10) unit reduction in day 5 lung virus titer and 90-100% protection against a lethal A/IN challenge in mice. Both R3.HA5 IN and R3.2xHA5 IN vaccines elicited robust neutralizing antibody responses that last for at least 9 months and demonstrated a significant anamnestic antibody response upon further booster immunization. Finally, we found that two vaccine candidates of A/AN induced significant HAI titers in mice. Taken together, our recombinant flagellin-HA platform has been successfully used to generate potent H5N1 HPAIV vaccine candidates. These promising preclinical results justify the advancement of these candidates into the clinic.
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