Emmes Will Support Development of a New Universal Flu Vaccine for The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmes today announced that it is part of a team of medical centers, universities and private industry supporting the development of a "universal influenza vaccine" that could provide longer-lasting protection than current vaccines and combat a wider variety of influenza viruses.

This is part of the newly launched Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers (CIVICs) program, under the direction of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).  According to NIAID, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, the network of research centers will work together in a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort to develop more durable, broadly protective and longer-lasting influenza vaccines.

Dr. Anne Lindblad, president and chief executive officer of Emmes, said, "This project builds upon our experience in supporting clinical trials of influenza vaccines and other emerging infectious diseases, such as Zika and Ebola.  It's exciting to be on the ground floor of this innovative program for NIAID."

Emmes is working with two other companies to provide the data management and statistical support for the CIVICs program.  Digital Infuzion is the prime contractor, with Emmes and Gryphon Scientific, LLC, as subcontractors.  All three companies are headquartered in Maryland. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths every year.  The time it can take to develop vaccines, plus the fact that existing vaccines do not always protect against the continually changing strains of influenza, led to the new NIAID program.

The Digital Infuzion, Gryphon Scientific and Emmes team members are responsible for designing statistically sound preclinical experiments and clinical trials.  Other focuses include performing data analyses, making results available across the CIVICs program, and ensuring that data is available in publicly accessible databases.

Dr. Stephan Bour, chief scientific officer for Digital Infuzion, said, "Emmes is a great addition to our team.  The company has more than 30 years of experience with NIAID and has built an outstanding reputation in statistical and data management.  We look forward to building our partnership and making a strong contribution to this important strategic endeavor."

Dr. Lindblad added, "Emmes has been expanding our presence in the Maryland biotech community, and it's a pleasure to collaborate with Digital Infuzion.  The company is known for using technology and bioinformatics to develop novel solutions for the health care industry."

About Emmes
We collaborate with our clients to produce valued, trusted scientific research. Our team members at Emmes are passionate about making a difference in the quality of human health, and we have supported more than a thousand studies across a diverse range of diseases since our formation in 1977.  Our research is contributing to a healthier world. For more information, visit the Emmes website at www.emmes.com.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N93019C00078.

SOURCE Emmes