Vaccine composition for use against influenza

1. A method for treating or preventing influenza in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual a prophylactically or therapeutically effective quantity of a vaccine composition, wherein the vaccine composition comprises:

at least one prophylactically active agent against influenza, and

at least one adjuvant, wherein the adjuvant is a derivative of a galactosylceramide,

wherein the at least one prophylactically active agent against influenza is selected from the group consisting of a live attenuated influenza virus, a killed or inactivated influenza virus, a subunit of an influenza virus, a recombinant polypeptide or protein from an influenza virus, a cDNA from an influenza virus or a recombinant influenza virus, of a first strain of influenza virus; wherein the vaccine composition is effective against a second strain of influenza virus different from the first strain of influenza virus, and wherein the vaccine composition is administered intramuscularly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subunit of an influenza virus is an hemagglutinin.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second influenza viruses have a host, and wherein the host of the influenza virus is selected from the group consisting of a human, a horse and a bird.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second influenza viruses are selected from the group consisting of H1N1, H1N2, H2N2, H3N1, H3N2, H5N1, and H7N7 strains.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is a compound having the following formula (V):

wherein:

R is an oxygen or a sulphur atom or —CH 2 —;

R 1 is a saturated or unsaturated, optionally aromatic, linear or branched hydrocarbon chain such as an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl, or aralkenyl chain, comprising from 1 to 150 carbon atoms, optionally comprising one or more heteroatoms or groups preferably selected among O, N, S or a carbonyl group, and optionally substituted by one or more hydroxyl or cyclopropryl groups;

R 2 is a saturated or unsaturated, optionally aromatic, linear or branched hydrocarbon chain such as an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl or aralkenyl chain, comprising from 1 to 150 carbon atoms, optionally comprising one or more heteroatoms or groups preferably selected among O, N, S or a carbonyl group, and optionally substituted by one or more hydroxyl groups or by a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon chain comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms;

R 3 is an hydrogen atom or a saturated or unsaturated, optionally aromatic, linear or branched hydrocarbon chain such as an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl or aralkenyl chain, comprising from 1 to 120 carbon atoms;

R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 , identical or different, represent:

(i) an hydroxyl group or

(ii) a saturated or unsaturated, optionally aromatic, linear or branched hydrocarbon chain such as an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl or aralkenyl chain, comprising from 1 to 100 carbon atoms, optionally comprising one or more heteroatoms or groups preferably selected among O, N, S or a carbonyl group; or

(iii) an amino, sulphate, phosphate or carboxyl group, or

(iv) a chain of 1 to 4 hexoses, optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from an amino, a sulphate, a phosphate and a carboxyl group, the hexoses being linked one to the other by an oxygen or a sulphur atom or —CH 2 —.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is a compound having the following formula (I)

wherein

R 1 is

a) —(CH 2 ) X CH 3 where X is an integer selected from 1 to 100; or

b) —(CH 2 ) X CH═CH(CH 2 ) Y CH 3 or —(CH 2 ) X CH═CH(CH 2 ) Y CH═CH(CH 2 ) Z CH 3 wherein X,

Y, and Z are integers independently selected from 1 to 14; and

R 2 is a linear or branched C 3 -C 100 alkyl.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is the compound PBS-57 of following formula (II)

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is the compound PBS-96 of following formula (III)

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjuvant is the compound PBS-14 of following formula (IV)

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vaccine composition comprises an additional adjuvant.