Norovirus vaccine formulations
The present invention relates to antigenic and vaccine compositions comprising Norovirus antigens and adjuvants, in particular, mixtures of monovalent VLPs and mixtures of multivalent VLPs, and to a process for the production of both monovalent and multivalent VLPs, the VLPs comprising capsid proteins from one or more Norovirus genogroups.
1. A method of generating an immune response to at least two Norovirus strains by administering to a patient an antigenic formulation comprising a combination of two or more monovalent Norovirus VLPs of different Norovirus genotypes, or an antigenic formulation comprising multivalent VLPs containing capsid proteins from two or more different Norovirus genotypes, wherein at least one of the two or more Norovirus genotypes is a genogroup I genotype I.1 and at least one of the two or more Norovirus genotypes is a genogroup II genotype II.4, such that the combination of VLPs within the formulation does not block the immunogenicity of each VLP type, and wherein immunity is generated against at least one Norovirus strain having a genotype that is different than the genotypes of said VLPs in said formulation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigenic formulation is administered mucosally or parenterally.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein mucosal administration is accomplished intranasally.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein parenteral administration is accomplished intramuscularly.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the antigenic formulation includes one or more adjuvants selected from the group consisting of toll-like receptor agonists and aluminum salts.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antigenic formulation comprises both a toll-like receptor agonist and an aluminum salt.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said toll-like receptor agonist is monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL).