This section will provide information on worldwide patents relevant to vaccine design and production. The Patent Report will give the following information: title of patent, patentee, patent number, publication date and summary of the patent. A number of the patents included in this report are reproduced with permission of Derwent Publications Ltd.

Culture of Bordetella microorganisms - Bordetella pertussis culture medium for whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine production

Teijin Eur. 77-646; 27 April 1983

Microorganisms of the genus Bordetella are cultured in a medium containing cyclodextrin or its derivatives, the preferred derivatives arc the methyl esters, especially hexakis (2,6-O-dimethyl)-t~-cyclodextrin (I) and heptakis (2, 6,O-dimethyl)-fl-cyclodextrin. The culture medium pre- ferably contains 0.001-5 mg ml -~ of (I) and 0.5-10 mg ml -~ of casamino acids. The addition of (I) promotes growth of the microoganisms and increases the yield of biologically active substances from the cultures. The culture medium is useful for the detection of Bordetella pertussis (for diagnosis of whooping cough) and for the production of vaccine. 001-83

Extracting virus-charged allantoic liquid from egg for vaccine production - followed by allantoic cavity flushing to raise virus yield by 25%; influenza vaccine production

InsL Merieux Eur. 77-704; 27 April 1983

A process and an installation for collection ofallantoic liquid injected with a virus, particularly an influenza virus, from an embryonic egg is described. Trays of virus-injected eggs are loaded onto an intermittently advancing conveyor. The eggs are decapped, inspected beneath a mirror, and positioned beneath a sampling head where a hollow suction needle extracts the allantoic liquid from each egg. Each egg cavity is then partly filled with 7 ml of sodium citrate solution which is recovered after 1.5 min in the cavity. Whilst restricting the depth of entry of the suction needle to ensure that nothing other than allantoic liquid is extracted from the egg, subsequent flushing with an aqueous solution raises the yield of virus by as much as 25-30%. This process may be used for the recovery of virus-loaded allantoic liquid, which can be used to produce vaccine, and in particular influenza vaccine. 002-83

Improved production of intracellular protozoa in vitro for vaccine development against protozoiasis

Merck-USA Eur. 78-205:4 May 1983

The production of intracellular protozoa in vitro comprises infection of host cells with protozoa after the cells have been treated to inhibit cell division. The non-dividing host cells can support the intracellular development of protozoan parasites in vitro and the overall percentage of host cells that can be infected is increased so that the yield of parasite per cultured cell is increased. The development of intracellular stages in individual host cells can be synchronized and higher production of parasite materials is possible for use in vaccines against malaria, trypanosomiasis, coccidiosis etc. The protozoa are typically Leishmanic~ Toxoplasmc~ Plasmodic~ Theileria, Anaplasma, Trypanosoma, Coccidia or BabesicL 003-83

Patent Report MJIt-24, MJH-63 and MJIt-65 from solubilized delipi-dated human casein - immunostimulants which favour antibody production and accelerate phagocytosis; use as vaccine adjuvants

INSERM Fr. 2513-881; 8 April 1983

MJH-24, MJH-63 and MJH-65 are obtained by treatment of solubilized and delipidated human casein with trypsin (EC3.4.21.4), using an enzyme: substrate ratio of 1:100 for 24 h at 37°C. After centrifugation the 3 active compounds are isolated. MJH-24, MJH-63 and MJH-65 are immuno- stimulants which favour the production of antibodies and accelerate phagocytosis. They may be useful as vaccine adjuvants. 004-83

Sheep and goat contagious ecthyma (or0 vaccine - sheep embryonic skin tissue cell culture infection with ecthyma virus

Inst Bioche~ Physiol Kingiz USSR 751-103; 28 December 1982

Preparation of an attenuated viral vaccine for the prevention and treatment of contagious ecthyma (or0 in sheep and goats. A single layer of sheep embryo skin tissue cells is cultured. The cell culture is infected with ecthyma virus and incubated at 36.5 + /- 5°C for several days. The attenuated virus is collected in 2 stages, after 30-36 h cultivation and after 72-80 h cultivation. The attenuated virus is used for the production of vaccine. 005-83

Vaccine for Newcastle-disease in poultry- containing paramyxo virus-infected chick extraembryonic fluid

Inst. Ve~ Prep. USSR 826-584; 27 December 1982

A vaccine used in the prophylaxis of Newcastle-disease in poultry is prepared by infecting chicken embryo with paramyxo virus a-1 Bof-74 VGNKI. The mixture is incubated for 72-80 h and extraembryonic fluid is collected, and mixed with antibiotics (penicillin and streptomycin) and freeze- protecting medium. The mixture is then freeze-dried. The vaccine contains (in wt%): extraembryonic fluid, 45-50; protective medium 45-50; and antibiotics, 100-200 U ml-L

006-83

cDNA coding for rabies glycoprutein- preparation from mRNA isolated from infected cells; used for vaccine production following bacterial transformation

Wistar-Inst W. German 3240-748; 19 May 1983

Single-stranded DNA coding for rabies virus strain ERA glycoprotein is produced by contacting the mRNA for the glycoprotein with dATP, dCTP, dGTP and dTTP and reverse-transcriptase in vitro. The mRNA is 15-20S polyA RNA obtained by oligo-dT-cellulose chromatography of the total RNA extracted from rabies infected cells. The single- stranded DNA may be used for bacterial transformation to produce large amounts of the antigen in order to produce vaccine, or for research into the location of antigenic sites on the glycoprotein. 007-83

Vaccine, Vol. 1, December 1983 49