Variation reports on flu vaccine candidate

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Variation Biotechnologies Inc. said that its potential influenza vaccine showed promising results in an early test to determine the vaccine candidate's effectiveness in providing protection against the H1N1 strain of influenza.

"The data were obtained from preclinical testing of ferrets inoculated with Variation's proprietary influenza vaccine and challenged with live H1N1," the Cambridge company said in a press release.

"Based on these results, we anticipate entering human clinical trials in 2010," David E. Anderson, vice president of immunology and a co-founder of Variation, said in a statement.