hVIVO PLC, which specialises in testing of infectious and respiratory disease products, has landed a £13.1mln deal with an unnamed leading pharmaceutical group to create a human challenge model for influenza B, also known as Flu B.
The firm has already successfully completed the vital phase of manufacturing the Flu B virus, which is a key prerequisite to proceed to the next stage of the project.
The characterisation trial, designed to identify the right dose of the flu virus to safely and consistently infect healthy volunteers, is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter.
hVIVO will receive an additional fee as part of the agreement to ensure the swift completion of the study and to secure the necessary facilities.
Subject to the successful conclusion of the characterisation study and regulatory approvals, hVIVO expects to conduct a Flu B human challenge trial in the first half of 2024.
"This is the second bespoke human challenge model development contract announced in as many months and continues the trend of large contract wins for hVIVO," said chief executive Mo Khan.
"This existing top-five global pharmaceutical client will support the development of a new influenza B challenge model to potentially test its vaccine candidate, in turn furthering our industry-leading position by broadening our library of human challenge models.
"Importantly, the contract also further diversifies our revenue pipeline across challenge agents and provides further visibility of revenue into 2024."
The revenues from this agreement will be reflected in the company's financial performance throughout 2023 and 2024.
hVIVO's unique expertise in the field, dating back to the era of the UK Common Cold Unit, positions it as the sole contract research organisation offering such tailored human challenge model development services.
Flu B, while less prevalent than influenza A, can cause equally severe symptoms and potentially lethal complications.
Unlike influenza A, Flu B is typically restricted to humans, causing seasonal epidemics that require regular updates to the seasonal vaccine component to maximise protection.