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Researcher hopes molecule vaccine can be marketed within 10 years

ROC Central News Agency

2009/10/14 21:26:18

By Lin Si-yu & Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) After announcing a discovery that the size of sugar molecules on the hemagglutinin (HA) protein on influenza viruses plays a decisive role in immune responses, Academia Sincia President Chi-Huey Wong said Wednesday it is hoped that human trials of the vaccine produced based on the findings can be completed within five years, and it can be marketed within 10 years.

Wong made the remarks while answering questions by lawmakers at the Legislative Yuan after a briefing on the 2010 working plans and budget of Academia Sinica, Taiwan's top academic research institute.

During the session, many legislators expressed concern over Wong's disclosure that the findings of his team's vaccine research will be transferred to a U.S. company, founded by an alumnus of National Taiwan University, for development of the vaccine.

In response to their questions on why Taiwan cannot hold on to such a major research breakthrough, Wong said the findings cannot be transferred to a company that is incapable of developing the vaccine.

"We have also to consider how much we can get" from the company that succeeds in developing and producing a profitable product based on Academia Sinica's findings, he said.

Academia Sinica owns the intellectual property rights for the "molecule vaccine, " Wong noted, adding that the institute will be paid royalties and the amount will vary at different stages of the vaccine's development.

If sales of the vaccine reach US$1 billion, Academia Sinica could earn US$100 million, he added.

Wong further explained that it requires at least NT$10 billion to develop a new vaccine and he had determined that no Taiwanese company can afford that.

For those reasons he picked an international company which has agreed to open a branch in Taiwan to work on the development and manufacture of the vaccine, he said.

On Wednesday, Wong expressed optimism over the development of effective vaccines against seasonal flu and the new A(H1N1) virus based on his team's findings.

The findings have been published in the latest online issue of U.S.-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.