Development, preparation, and testing of VAQTA®, a highly purified hepatitis A vaccine

Manufacture of VAQTA®, an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine, uses state-of-the-art technologies in cell culture and bioprocessing science, which have made it possible to routinely produce the vaccine at manufacturing scale. VAQTA® consists of an attenuated strain of hepatitis A virus that is highly purified and formaldehyde-inactivated, then formulated with an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. Process development and scale-up have resulted in a well-characterized vaccine manufacturing process with appropriate in-process controls to assure consistent performance, and a reproducible, well-defined product. Results are presented from a series of manufacturing demonstration lots to show consistency, as well as comparability to clinical lots prepared at an earlier stage in development.