Swiss giant Novartis presented the results of a study conducted by Britain´s Leicester University showing that its MF59-adjuvanted booster vaccine triggers an immune response to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which experts say could trigger a human flu pandemic.

The data was presented at the European Influenza Conference being held in Portugal.
Leicester University study investigator Iain Stephenson said the results of the study “potentially provide a rationale to prevent pandemic influenza by proactively immunizing the public with stockpiled pre-pandemic vaccines containing MF59."

In May, European authorities approved the first pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine, Prepandrix, made by GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

Industry analysts say bird flu vaccines may represent a $ 1 billion-plus dollars sales opportunity for the companies manufacturing them for governments around the world.

While H5N1 remains mainly a virus affecting birds, scientists say it is the most likely source of the next global flu pandemic in humans, since it may soon mutate into a form that is easily transmitted from person to person.

Most human cases can be traced so far to direct or indirect contact with infected birds. The H5N1 virus has killed around 240 people since 2003.