Method for the production of stabile vaccines

1. A method for producing stabilised vaccines, the method comprising:

(a) mixing antigens with a solution comprising:

(i) chitosan;

(ii) at least three different amino acids; and

(iii) a sugar; and

(b) drying the mixture obtained in (a).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least three amino acids are selected from at least two different groups selected from

(a) amino acids with nonpolar, aliphatic R groups;

(b) amino acids with polar, uncharged R groups;

(c) amino acids with positively charged R groups;

(d) amino acids with negatively charged R groups; and

(e) amino acids with aromatic R groups.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises at least one amino acid selected from each group of

(a) an amino acid with nonpolar, aliphatic R groups;

(b) an amino acid with polar, uncharged R groups;

(c) an amino acid with positively charged R groups;

(d) an amino acid with negatively charged R groups; and

(e) an amino acid with aromatic R groups.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises at least the amino acids selected from:

(a) alanine, glutamate, lysine, threonine and tryptophan;

(b) aspartate, arginine, phenylalanine, serine and valine;

(c) proline, serine, asparagine, aspartate, threonine, phenylalanine;

(d) tyrosine, isoleucine, leucine, threonine, valine;

(e) arginine, glycine, histidine, alanine, glutamate, lysine, tryptophan; and

(f) alanine, arginine, glycine, glutamate, lysine.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the amino acids are selected from natural non-proteinogenic amino acids and synthetic amino acids.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sugar is trehalose.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution further comprises at least one saponine.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the antigens are split virus antigens.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the split virus antigens are influenza virus antigens.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the influenza virus is an influenza A virus.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein the influenza virus is an influenza A H1N1 virus.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of drying the mixture is achieved by a method selected from spray drying, lyophilisation, spray-freeze drying and air drying.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dried vaccine obtained in step (b) is subsequently sterilized.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vaccine is for intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, transdermal, oral, peroral, nasal, and/or inhalative application.