It is the only vaccine developed and manufactured 100% in Europe and will be available in single-dose format
The company is manufacturing the first batches at its production centers in Spain
Girona, May 2nd 2024 – The biotechnological pharmaceutical company HIPRA will have a vaccine against COVID-19 adapted to the JN.1 variant, thus complying with the new recommendations of the health authorities which propose to update the composition of the vaccines for the next autumn vaccination campaign. HIPRA, thanks to the continuous epidemiological monitoring, anticipated the recommendations and started the development of the new adapted vaccine and the manufacture of the first batches in its production centers in Spain, being able to guarantee the supply of doses for the population. The adapted recombinant protein adjuvanted vaccine will be available in single-dose format. Among other advantages, this presentation facilitates logistics and administration by healthcare personnel, thus helping to improve vaccination coverage rates.
The new adapted HIPRA vaccine aligns with the recommendations that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Emergency Task Force (ETF) and the WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG-CO-VAC) have recently published on the composition of the COVID-19 vaccine for the upcoming autumn campaign (monovalent JN.1 vaccines).
The results of the in vivo studies available to date demonstrate that the HIPRA vaccine against COVID-19 adapted to JN.1 generates good levels of neutralizing antibodies against this new family of variants in both primary vaccination and booster studies.
This new adaptation has been possible thanks to the continuous monitoring of new variants around the world carried out by the HIPRA team, which has also managed to reduce the adaptation times of its recombinant protein platform, thus having this new adaptation ready for this autumn's campaign.
About JN.1 variant
According to the EMA, between December 2023 and January of this year, the new SARS-CoV-2 variant, JN.1, globally outcompeted the previously circulating XBB family of variants. JN.1 belongs to the BA.2.86 family of Omicron subvariants. The EMA suggests that JN.1 is differentiating and evolving into a new family of variants. As indicated by the EMA, currently licensed vaccines against COVID-19 remain effective in preventing severe disease, however, protection decreases over time and the circulating virus evolves towards antigenically more distant variants with respect to the vaccine composition, therefore the EMA recommends adaptation of vaccines to ensure better protection against the currently dominant variants and those that may evolve from them.
About HIPRA
HIPRA is a biotechnological pharmaceutical company focused on prevention for animal and human health, with a broad range of highly innovative vaccines and advanced diagnostic service. With its claim “Building Immunity for a Healthier World”, HIPRA affirms its commitment to contributing with solutions that improve world health. HIPRA has a solid international presence in more than 40 countries, with its own subsidiaries, 3 R&D centres and 6 production centres strategically located in Europe (Spain) and America (Brazil). Moreover, its extensive international distribution network keeps open marketing channels with nearly 100 other countries, thereby covering the 5 continents.
Research and Development constitute the core of its knowledge. HIPRA dedicates over 10% of its annual turnover to R&D activities that concentrate on the creation and application of the latest scientific advances to the development of the highest quality innovative vaccines. HIPRA performs and monitors all the production stages of its services and biological products in its facilities, which are equipped with the latest technological advances.