Broadly protective flu vaccine that targets a stable viral protein (NP)
Official title: Broad spectrum protection and immune responses induced by an NP-based universal influenza vaccine in heterologous NHP challenge model
Funded at Osivax Sas · NIH-11161490 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new vaccine that aims to protect people against many different influenza strains by training the immune system to recognize a stable part of the virus called nucleoprotein.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Osivax Sas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Paris, France) |
| Project start | September 26, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $113,911 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI177376-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161490 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals interested in broader flu protection—especially older adults, healthcare workers, and those at high risk of exposure—would be the eventual target for this vaccine.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe immune suppression or known allergies to vaccine components may not mount a protective response and could fail to benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are developing a vaccine that uses a conserved influenza protein (nucleoprotein, NP) presented as a heptameric recombinant antigen (OVX836) to boost both T-cell and antibody responses. The vaccine is built using Osivax's oligoDOM® platform to increase immune visibility of NP. It will be tested in non-human primates using heterologous challenge with different influenza strains to see if it reduces illness and viral replication. Immune measurements will include antibody levels and T-cell responses such as CD4 T-cell activity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer broader, potentially universal protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza and reduce severe disease and the need for yearly vaccine reformulation.
How similar studies have gone: T-cell targeting of conserved influenza proteins like NP has shown cross-protection in animal studies and correlations with reduced illness in observational human data, but broadly protective NP-based vaccines remain largely unproven in wide clinical use.
Where this research is happening
-
Osivax Sas
Paris, France Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nicolas, Florence — Osivax Sas
- Study coordinator: Nicolas, Florence
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.