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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 003279 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA, EUR/AGS 
DEPT OF HEALTH FOR LSAWYER 
USDA FOR FAS/CMP/DLP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU ASEC SENV EAGR EAID ECON WHO AU
SUBJECT: AVIAN FLU: BAXTER-AUSTRIA DEVELOPS A VACCINE AGAINST HUMAN 
H5N1 VIRUS 
 
REFS: A) VIENNA 696; B) 05 VIENNA 3865 
 
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE HANDLE 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: The Austrian-based research facility of the U.S. 
healthcare company Baxter has developed a vaccine against the 
current strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus.  The vaccine has 
been successfully tested in mice and also with human subjects, 
yielding a protection rate between 70 and 95%.  Baxter says it can 
now develop a vaccine against a pandemic influenza within 12 weeks 
once a virus is isolated.  Several European governments, including 
Austria, have initiated "preparedness" or stockpiling contracts with 
Baxter to purchase the vaccine.  The Austrian Government is also 
stockpiling antiviral drugs for "key personnel" to be treated in the 
event of an outbreak of a pandemic.  Presently, the GoA does not see 
an immediate danger in the return of the bird flu virus to Europe 
but will remain vigilant.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On October 5, the Austrian subsidiary of the U.S. healthcare 
company Baxter announced that they had successfully tested a 
"candidate vaccine" against the potential pandemic H5N1 avian 
influenza virus.  On October 25, Noel Barrett, Deputy Head of Baxter 
Austria and Science Director, provided EmbOffs and Regional Medical 
Officer an overview of Baxter's Avian Influenza (H5N1) vaccine 
development. 
 
VACCINE SUCCESSFULLY TESTED ON 3 DIFFERENT STRAINS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3.  (U) According to Barrett, Baxter can rapidly produce large-scale 
flu vaccines by using "Vero cell" cultures instead of traditional 
egg cultures.  Barrett explained that Baxter had started to develop 
the vaccine in June 2006 at its Austrian and Singaporan facilities; 
both recorded successful results in September.  The source of the 
vaccine is an isolate (H5N1 Vietnam 12/04) from a fatal human case. 
Animal testing in mice demonstrated that the vaccine was 100% 
protective against infection when the mice were exposed to the 
Vietnam strain and yielded 95% protection against another human 
strain of H5N1 (Indonesia 5/2005).  Human trials with the vaccine 
have been conducted with 270 adult subjects.  The vaccine produced 
protective antibody levels in 70% of the subjects and demonstrated 
similar tolerability and side effects compared to standard flu 
vaccines. 
 
¶4.  (U) Since the H5N1 strain that may ultimately cause pandemic 
influenza is likely to mutate, Baxter also tested the vaccine 
against other H5N1 strains that have been known to have caused human 
disease: Hong Kong 156/1997, the virus that caused the first known 
fatal human cases of H5N1; and the Indonesia 5/2005 strain mentioned 
above, which caused the first human to human transmitted case.  The 
Baxter vaccine provided protection against the virus in 90% of the 
Hong Kong strain and 70-75% of the Indonesian strain. 
 
TWO MILLION DOSES READY WITHIN 12 WEEKS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Based on its research, Baxter believes the vaccine is safe, 
has an excellent tolerability profile, is highly immunogenic, and 
can be used as pre-pandemic or stockpile vaccine.  Barrett said 
that, given the biosafety level of the Baxter plants, the company 
can work with the authentic wild-type virus to produce the vaccine. 
This would allow Baxter to manufacture and deliver the first two 
million doses of a pandemic bird flu vaccine within 12 weeks of the 
isolation of a pandemic virus. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) According to Barrett, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 
Switzerland have concluded contracts with Baxter to stockpile the 
pre-pandemic vaccine and then purchase the pandemic specific vaccine 
when it is produced.  Austria and other countries are negotiating 
"preparedness contracts" with Baxter to purchase a certain amount of 
the vaccine, should there be an outbreak of pandemic influenza. 
Austria plans to order 16 million doses to cover the entire 
population (two shots per person).  However, the new government has 
yet to sign the contract.  Barrett intimated that Austria could lose 
out, as Baxter only has the capacity to sign preparedness contracts 
with five countries. 
 
AUSTRIA'S PANDEMIC PLAN: VACCINES/MASKS FOR EVERYBODY 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The Austrian General Health Director, Hubert Hrabcik, 
recently announced that the GoA has taken additional steps to 
 
VIENNA 00003279  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
prepare for pandemic influenza.  The GoA is stockpiling antiviral 
drugs ("Tamiflu" and "Zanavimir") to treat 25% of the population as 
a precaution against a possible pandemic.  20% of the planned stocks 
have been filled already.  Hrabcik said that the antiviral drugs 
would help protect certain key personnel, such as physicians, health 
care workers, police, and specialized administrative personnel. 
Hrabcik also recommended stocking protective face masks to prevent 
transmission of H5N1.  The GoA has stored 2.4 million masks for key 
personnel. 
 
¶8.  (U) Since 2005 the GoA has had an "Influenza Pandemic Plan" in 
place that foresees a strategy for the authorities beyond providing 
relevant medication to the public.  A special crisis committee would 
convene in the event of an early warning by the WHO or a trigger by 
the EU Early Warning System.  In each Austrian state the GoA would 
appoint a "pandemic hospital."  Authorities would actively engage 
the media and would have the ability to close schools. 
 
NO BIRD FLU COMEBACK IN EUROPE? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) With regard to the veterinary situation, the Ministry of 
Health (MoH) maintains that avian influenza is currently not a 
priority issue.  Regions from which infected birds could migrate, 
such as Siberia and the Danube Delta, have not reported cases since 
June 2006, the Ministry's chief veterinary expert Ulrich Herzog 
said.  However, the authorities remain vigilant.  The MoH is 
considering a limited obligation for farmers, living along rivers 
and lakes, to keep poultry inside during the migratory season.  To 
date, 125 birds have tested positive for H5N1 in Austria, but the 
last infection was in April 2006. 
 
Phillips, CDA