SICK GUINEA PIG MAY DELAY FLU VACCINE TEST

       The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) will decide next Wednesday whether to delay the first phase of clinical trials of a vaccine against a new strain of type-A (H1N1) influenza discovered after a test with guinea pigs found one had an infection in its lungs.
       Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry announced yesterday the type-A (H1N1) virus has killed 11 people during the past seven days, bringing total fatalities to 153. Most were suffering underlying diseases.
       The GPO had planned to run its first clinical vaccine trial against the flu virus on September 21. However, after finding an infection during an animal trial, GPO decided to put off its human trials for another three days.
       GPO board chairperson, Dr Wichai Chokwiwat said the board will meet on Friday to discuss results of the animal trial where one of ten guinea pigs was found to have developed pockmarks in its lung.
       "We will have to study all information about the guinea pig tests carefully before we make a decision whether or not to begin testing the vaccine in 24 volunteers from September 24," he said.
       "We will postpone the human trials if we find any problems in the first lot of vaccine against new flu virus," he said.
       Wichai said he has consulted with experts about the marks in the guinea pig's lungs and been advised they might have been caused by an abnormality in the animal and not by the vaccine.
       He said scientists had injected the vaccine into two guinea pigs with the same concentration planned for humans. One of the two guinea pigs developed an infection which might have been caused by a previous lesion.
       GPO's deputy director, Somchai Srichainaka said they were negotiating with the Livestock Development Department to produce local specific pathogen free eggs for the production of vaccine.
       GPO has faced problems importing these hen's eggs for vaccine development from Germany and the United States.The long distance transportation might be affecting specific eggs and causing the virus incubated in them to grow more slowly. However 3,000 eggs from the US will arrive today.
       Somchai said Thailand would save expense in the long term if it could produce local specific free pathogen eggs, reducing costs from Bt180 to Bt120 an egg. GPO has asked the US Food and Drug Administration for help with production of the specific free pathogen.
       World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Thailand, Dr Maureen Birmingham, said WHO is negotiating with two leading vaccine makers,Sanofi Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline, to contribute vaccine to the WHO for distribution to developing countries. Agreement is expected in the next two weeks.