Vital Voices Lecture Series Focuses on Vaccine Milestone
Dr. Manon Cox Speaks about Flublok® Vaccine
At the latest presentation of Vital Voices: The T. Boone Pickens Lecture Series for Education, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship on August 12, Goodwin College welcomed Dr. Manon Cox, president and CEO of Protein Sciences Corporation, a Meriden-based company specializing in vaccine development and protein production.
The breakfast event brought together area leaders in health care and education to hear Dr. Cox share her insights as a scientist, business leader, and innovator. Dr. Cox focused on Protein Science’s long struggle to bring Flublok® to market. The world’s first recombinant protein-based vaccine for the prevention of seasonal influenza disease, Flublok is the only flu vaccine made in a 100% egg-free system using modern cell culture technology, making it unnecessary to use an infectious influenza virus or antibiotics in manufacturing.
It took 15 years of hard work and dedication from the Protein Sciences team — and a strong leader ready to fight for what she believed in — before the US FDA deemed Flublok safe and effective. Persistence was a key factor, remarked Dr. Cox, adding, “Our company’s mission statement is to save lives and improve health around the world. We’ve developed a set of values that we strive for: teamwork, passion, excellence, and ingenuity.”
In a rare move, the FDA granted Protein Sciences 12-year exclusivity to Flublok, positioning it as a game-changing influenza vaccine. The determination of regulatory exclusivity means that the FDA will not approve any product similar to Flublok before January 16, 2025.
Goodwin College’s Vice President of Advancement Brooke Penders noted, “With so many of our students pursuing nursing degrees and education in other health-related fields, we feel it’s important to help keep our neighbors in the community informed of the latest developments.”
Representatives from several of Goodwin’s healthcare programs were on hand to learn about the vaccine and to inquire how its use and availability will affect their work as caregivers. Noting the College’s role as an early adopter of Flublok, Dr. Cox added, “Goodwin is a great example of an innovative school, and we appreciate their support.”
Goodwin College’s Vital Voices series brings leaders in a variety of fields to speak on topics of interest to the community. Events are free of charge.
Flublok is available this fall in target, Walmart, and select independent pharmacies. For more information on Flublok, click here. To view photos, click here.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.