“’Smokin’ Flu Vaccine! Medicine’s Next Big
Thing?”
Mike Wanner
Mike Wanner, Executive Vice President of Operations for Medicago, USA, talks about a
possible flu vaccine using a cousin of the tobacco plant.
How did the concept of a flu vaccine made from tobacco plants come about?
Mike Wanner: Medicago has been around for about 13 to 14 years. So, there has been a lot of
development on the technology platform. It derived from the knowledge that we could make
virtually any kind of protein from a plant; the tobacco plant works great for that. It is a great host
for producing protein.
People might be surprised to hear that, especially with all the negative aspects that come
along with tobacco. Do you get a lot of that?
Mike Wanner: Not really because North Carolina is favorable to tobacco growth, but for us it is
a great source of biomass. The plant is very robust. It grows rapidly and is very inexpensive to
grow. Within about 35 to 37 days, the plant is ready for us to introduce the technology. So, it is a
very cost effective plant to use.
It has been in Phase 1 trials now. What types of flu virus have you tested it on?
Mike Wanner: We have worked primarily with pandemic flus. We have actually completed a
phase 2 trial with H5N1, which is the avian flu. We have completed a Phase 1 with swine flu
(H1N1) and the products we are working on today in this facility are destined for a seasonal flu
Phase 2A trial in humans coming up this year.
Does it work like a normal egg based vaccine?
Mike Wanner: Yes. It induces a very strong immune response in humans. So, we are able to
have the same surface proteins exist on the virus-like particle that occurs naturally on a flu virus.
When your body sees the virus-like particle, it induces an immune response as it would
ordinarily.
So, it mimics the egg based flu vaccine, but for this one you are using an
Agrobacterium?
Mike Wanner: The plant equates to the egg in an egg-based flu system and the agrobacterium
is used to deliver the genes of interest
What is a good analogy of what that is?
Mike Wanner: So, we do use Agrobacterium and if you have ever walked through the woods
and see a big knot on the side of a tree, it is infected with Agrobacterium. So, we are actually
using that natural bacterium. The science comes in when we introduce genes of interest into the
Agrobacterium. We do that by getting the specific DNA sequence and identifying the splice of
that gene sequence that is important for gene expression. We introduce that through a construct
attached to the Agrobacterium. Then, the Agrobacterium expands/expresses in the plant and
that becomes the virus like particle that ultimately purified and becomes the vaccine.
What is the difference in the dosage between this and an egg-based vaccine?
Mike Wanner: In an egg-based vaccine, they are producing about 1 to 4 doses per egg. In a
plant, it depends on the vaccine that we are making. However, we can produce anywhere from
30 to 100 doses of a vaccine in a single plant.
How would that impact a pandemic outbreak? How quickly could it be given out in a
situation like that?
Mike Wanner: Well for a pandemic response, the beauty of the technology is speed and cost.
For example, the WHO would identify the gene sequence for a particular flu strain and within 19
days we could have product ready for testing.
How long until it would go out into the market?
Mike Wanner: The testing may take 30 to 45 days, depending on how broad it is. So, we could
have the product made and in the market in 64 days.
What is the difference in the process? Is this easier than making an egg-based vaccine?
Mike Wanner: It is easier because the creation of the construct is much quicker. Also, using a
tobacco plant is more efficient. So, we always have plants that we are growing. The time to be
able to introduce the genes of interest into the process is very quick. So, speed equates to cost
and we are able to make the product very quickly and efficiently.
If all goes as planned, you hope to have to this in the market within 3 years?
Mike Wanner: Yes, we have to go through the normal phases of clinical trials and we would
expect to have the product available on the market maybe in 2016.
It is not just the flu vaccine that you guys are working on with the tobacco plants,
correct?
Mike Wanner: Correct. The technology avails itself to make virtually any kind of protein in the
plant. We have worked with other types of vaccines. We have a project on Rotavirus, on rabies.
We have also made monoclonal antibodies using the technology. So, it is a very robust
platform.
Do you think things will shift in this direction or do you think we will see both the eggbased and the tobacco-based vaccine?
Mike Wanner: Well, there is a lot of work going on not only in eggs, but also mammalian cell
culture systems. So, I think it is a nice fit into the vaccine business and we think we will be able
to make a major dent.
Can you explain the process the plants go through?
Mike Wanner: Once the plants are about 35 to 37 days old, they are ready for infiltration. They
will be at the size that is optimal for 100% infiltration rate. So, they are moving them here up a
conveyor. They will go through an air exchange room and into the area, where we will introduce
the Agrobacterium to the plant. The whole process to do around 11,000 plants takes about 7
hours. A single plant is in the infiltration unit for about 2 to 3 minutes and only 6 to 7 minutes in
the infiltration room. So, it is a very quick cycle time.
This information is intended for additional research purposes only. It is not to be used as
a prescription or advice from Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. or any medical professional
interviewed. Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the depth or
accuracy of physician statements. Procedures or medicines apply to different people
and medical factors; always consult our physician on medical matters.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Christina Cameron
Investor Relations
Medicago, Inc.
(418) 658-9393
cameronc@medicago.com
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