Monrovia, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/04/2011 -- Dr. Philip Dormitzer, Head, Viral Advanced Programs Global Program Team, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, to deliver featured presentation at the “9th Annual Vaccines Discovery and Development: All Things Considered” conference, to be held on Nov. 7-8, 2011 in Boston, MA by GTC.
Dr. Philip Dormitzer will discuss Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is the main cause of infant bronchiolitis, and remains a major unmet vaccine need despite more than 40 years of vaccine research. Vaccine candidates based on a chief RSV neutralization antigen, the fusion (F) glycoprotein, have foundered due to problems with stability, purity, reproducibility, and potency. Crystal structures of related parainfluenza F glycoproteins have revealed a large conformational change between the pre-fusion and post-fusion states.
Because neutralizing antibodies are believed to bind pre-fusion F on the virion, it was thought that post-fusion F antigens might not efficiently elicit neutralizing antibodies.
Through structural engineering, Novartis has generated a homogeneous, stable, and reproducible post-fusion RSV F immunogen that elicits high titers of neutralizing antibodies in immunized animals. This potential vaccine antigen crystallizes. The benefits of Dr. Dormitzer’s talk is the insight into RSV vaccine design, and insight into the use of structural biology in vaccine design.
The 9th Vaccine Discovery and Development: All Things Considered conference annually brings together experts in vaccines from big and small pharmaceutical companies, academia, and government. The intimate setting of the conference enables networking and the opportunity to meet speakers and delegates. This year’s conference will appropriately take place in Boston, MA, the hub of research and development.
The purpose of the event is to generate dialogue and to introduce novel advances in the field of vaccines. It is part of a two-track meeting that will take place at the Omni Parker House. Delegates at this event will have a chance to meet the attendees of the concurrent 8th Anti-Infectives Partnering and Deal-Making conference.
The sessions for this conference are:
Vaccines for Infectious Diseases
Therapeutic Vaccines
Regulatory and Government Policy
New Technologies in Vaccine Development
Future Trends in Vaccine Discovery and New Vaccines
For more information, please visit http://www.gtcbio.com.