Merck + Co., Inc.

University of Colorado

Merch & Co., Inc.

Philip J Provost

Maurice R Hilleman

Paula A Giesa

Paul A Friedman

Myron J Levin

David L Krah

C Jo White

Oswald L Ittensohn

Gary B Calandra

William J McAleer

William J Miller

Cathy Warren Wadsworth

Herpes Zoster, or varicella related post herpetic neuralgia is alleviated by immunizing people at risk of developing herpes zoster with varicella zoster virus (VZV) antigen.

Method for preventing zoster or alleviating varicella related post-herpetic neuralgia

Method for alleviating varicella related post-herpetic neuralgia

Hepatitis A virus is attenuated in virulence by in vitro passage in susceptible cell cultures, without prior passage in a subhuman primate. This process results in a live, attenuated hepatitis A virus vaccine suitable for human disease prevention.

Cell culture of hepatitis A virus

Thermostable varicella zoster virus

Process for attenuated varicella zoster virus vaccine production

A live, attenuated varicella zoster virus vaccine is produced with enhanced yield of VZV. The new process makes mass production of a live VZV vaccine more practical.

Hepatitis A virus is attenuated by propagation in cell culture in vitro by direct inoculation of the cell cultures with a human clinical specimen containing the virus.

Attenuated hepatitis A virus

Hepatitus A virus is grown in Vero cells after passage in in vitro cell culture. Virus replication and continued passage in Vero cells requires extended incubation times, up to about four weeks, for early passages and incubation temperatures no higher than about 32.degree. C. Continued passage results in a significant decrease in incubation time and an increase in virus yield. Cultivation of hepatitus A virus in Vero cells meets the development requirements for an inactivated human vaccine.

Growth of hepatitus A virus in vero cells

Hepatitis A virus is passaged at least once in a susceptible sub-human primate; the infected liver from such passage is used to inoculate an in vitro cell culture, the inoculated cell culture is incubated until hepatitis A antigen is detected in the cell sheet or culture fluid, and at least two serial in vitro passages in cell culture are carried out. The hepatitis A virus so modified can be used to prepare live, attenuated hepatitis A vaccine or an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine.

Hepatitis a virus cell culture in vitro

Hepatitis A antigen obtained from the livers of non-human primates infected with hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) virus has been found to be usable in fast, simple assays for hepatitis A antibody and thus usable in diagnosis of hepatitis A disease in humans, and for the preparation of hepatitis A vaccine.

Hepatitis A antigen

Hepatitis A antigen obtained from the stools of patients infected with hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) virus has been found to be usable in fast, simple assays for hepatitis A antibody and thus usable in diagnosis of hepatitis A disease, and for the preparation of hepatitis A vaccine.

Growing community of inventors

Lansdale, PA, United States of America

Philip J Provost