Extensive experience
Solvay Biologicals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Solvay Pharmaceuticals, has been producing their sub-unit vaccine, Influvac® for more than 20 years and is one of the world’s largest influenza producers with over 100 million vaccine doses manufactured so far. Solvay Biologicals plays an important role in the advancement of scientific knowledge on influenza and vaccination, through publications, scientific studies, sponsorships, etc. Solvay Biologicals is one of the sponsors of the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI), an independent group of scientists, promoting the study of influenza.

Leaders in high quality vaccine development
Influvac® is currently produced by injecting the seed virus into fertilized chicken eggs. Every year the vaccine must comply with the highest quality standards. Despite great time pressures, Solvay Biologicals has managed for years to be one of the first companies to reach the market with their Influvac®.

Cell culture – producing more vaccine faster
Solvay Biologicals has invested more than EUR 50 million in a new integrated facility for the production of influenza vaccines generated through an innovative cell culture method.  The new production unit is based in Solvay Biologicals site in Weesp the Netherlands. Building was started in early 2003 and will be completed in 2006. The construction of this new facility means a considerable expansion of the Influvac® production capacity.

The use of Solvay’s MDCK cell line makes it possible to start up vaccine production at any time, independent of the availability of eggs. MDCK is a mammalian cell line that has been used for decades in laboratories all over the world and for the production of veterinary vaccines. Solvay will be the first company using this cell line for the commercial production of human vaccines.

When there is a threat of a worldwide influenza pandemic, this technology makes it possible to react quicker to produce vaccines. Such pandemics have occurred in the past and affected millions of people all over the world. As avian influenza demonstrated in recent years, the pandemic threat is very real and in view of this imminent danger the World Health Organization has stressed the urgent need for cell-cultured influenza vaccines.

The research and development of the innovative MDCK cell culture was done in Solvay’s own virological laboratories in Weesp, the Netherlands. This new production method is considered to be state of the art technology and is meeting the highest quality demands.

New virosomal influenza vaccine: Invivac®
July 2004 Solvay Biologicals obtained European marketing approval for its new virosomal influenza vaccine: Invivac®. This European registration follows the completion of a Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP), with The Netherlands acting as Reference Member State. Norway and a number of EU member states will now grant a marketing authorization to Invivac®, including: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Registration was already obtained in The Netherlands and Switzerland earlier this year.

Invivac® is a virosomal influenza vaccine with a unique mechanism of action. Clinical studies have shown that the virosomal influenza vaccine is safe and efficacious, particularly in elderly patients and people with low antibody titers before vaccination.