CSL Seqirus Shares Data Demonstrating the Potential for Influenza Vaccination to Reduce the Burden on Healthcare Resources

• CSL Seqirus presents new data at the 9^th ESWI meeting on the impact of effective vaccination campaigns to protect healthcare systems across the world.^1,2
• The French data highlights how vaccines may reduce the strain on hospital beds by 10-15%.¹
• The Belgian data highlights how adjuvanted vaccines would not only be cost-effective but could also prevent 6,920 influenza infection, 530 hospitalizations and 66 deaths annually.²

SUMMIT, N.J., Sept. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CSL Seqirus, a business of CSL (ASX:CSL), today unveiled new analyses that underscore the potential of influenza vaccines in alleviating the burden of seasonal influenza on hospitals and broader healthcare systems.^1,2 These data are being presented in poster sessions at the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) Conference taking place in Valencia, from 17-20 September 2023.

"In a world where healthcare systems are laser-focused on enhancing the prevention of infectious diseases, vaccination isn't just an option but an essential tool," said Joaquin Mould-Quevedo, PhD, Global HEOR & Value Strategy Director, CSL Seqirus. "As a global leader in influenza protection, CSL Seqirus recognizes its responsibility to help reduce the burden of flu around the world, and data presented at ESWI provide insight into how enhanced influenza vaccines might ease that burden on French and  Belgian health systems and communities."^1,2

In France, approximately 2 to 6 million individuals are affected by influenza annually, leading to over 20,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 excess deaths, 90% of which occur in older adults.¹ A new analysis spotlights how influenza vaccines can offer a powerful prevention tool that reduces healthcare resource use.¹ Findings from a dynamic transmission model indicated that standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccines for this demographic could reduce hospitalizations  by 11.1%-30.0% and ICU admissions  by 9.7%-28.7%.¹ Additionally, enhanced vaccines are projected to further reduce the strain on hospitals and intensive care units by 10-15%, supporting bed availability during a potential COVID-19 endemic wave.¹

In Belgium, where roughly 62% of older adults received a standard-dose egg-based influenza vaccine between 2015-2019, an analysis was conducted to investigate the potential cost effectiveness of using an adjuvanted quadrivalent influenza vaccine (aQIV).²  Findings from the analysis, based on a static cost-effectiveness model, showed that transitioning to aQIV could prevent 6,920 influenza infections a year that would typically seek medical care, along with 530 hospitalizations and 66 deaths.² From a cost perspective, aQIV was both cost-effective with an incremental cost of €15,227/QALY when compared to the standard dose and cost-saving compared with the high-dose vaccine.²

ABOUT THE STUDIES PRESENTED AT ESWI  

Estimating the Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Acute and ICU Hospital Bed Usage in an Influenza Season Under Endemic Covid-19 in France.  
Researchers used a dynamic susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model to simulate influenza transmission and current French influenza vaccination recommendations (e.g. older population, subjects below 65yrs with comorbidities, etc.), with varying rates of vaccine coverage in multiple French population age-groups (6m-2y, 2-17y, 18-49y, 50-64y, 65-74y, 75y+).¹ Four scenarios were evaluated: 57% (baseline), 62%, 69%, and 74% coverage in the older population.¹  

Results found that standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccines for the elderly can reduce hospital (11.09%-30.04%) and ICU (9.67%-28.65%) beds needed to attend subjects with seasonal influenza.¹ In addition enhanced vaccines for the elderly are thought to have an additional impact on hospitals and ICU beds use in France.¹

Cost-Effectiveness of the Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine in the Belgian Elderly Population.   
Researchers used a static cost-effectiveness model customized with the available national data to evaluate costs and outcomes of different vaccination strategies for this analysis.² The model forecasts influenza-related costs and benefits for one regular influenza season using the average strain distribution coming from 04 available seasons in Belgium.²

The analyses, which was recently published in Expert Review of Vaccines, concluded that replacing the standard dose (SD-QIV) with a high dose (HD-QIV) vaccine in the Belgian elderly population would prevent annually 6,920 influenza infections seeking medical care, 530 hospitalizations and 66 deaths.² The results of the model suggest that the aQIV is cost-effective compared to the SD-QIV with an incremental cost of €15,227/QALY and is cost-saving compared to the HD-QIV.² The latter, due aQIV has a lower unit cost.² Sensitivity analyses conducted confirm the robustness of base case results.²

Study Limitations
Economic evaluations in health can be a very useful complement to the decision-making process, and the methodological approaches should be continually refined and improved. Caution must be exercised in interpreting the results of economic evaluations performed in a given setting and in extrapolating to a different population, location, healthcare systems and resource use. It's strongly suggested that economic evaluations should be performed on a regular basis to ensure that the results are valid and up-to-date, and consistent with payer's views and priorities of the societies which are under research.

About Seasonal Influenza
Influenza is a frequently occurring, contagious seasonal respiratory disease that may cause severe illness and life-threatening complications in some people.[3] Influenza can lead to clinical symptoms varying from mild to moderate respiratory illness to severe complications, hospitalization and in some cases, death.³ Because transmission of influenza viruses to others may occur before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick, the disease can be easily transmitted to others.³ Preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that during the 2022/23 influenza season, there were an estimated 300,000-650,000 influenza-related hospitalizations in the U.S.[4] The CDC recommends annual vaccination for individuals aged 6 months and older, who do not have any contraindications.[5] Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that help protect against influenza virus infection, it is recommended that people get vaccinated before influenza begins spreading in their community.⁵ The CDC recommends that people get vaccinated by the end of October.⁵

About Pandemic Influenza
Influenza is a contagious airborne respiratory disease.³ Pandemic flu occurs when a novel strain emerges that infects people, spreads easily from person-to-person, and to which most people do not have immunity.[6] The risk of influenza-associated morbidity and mortality is greater with pandemic influenza than with seasonal influenza because there is likely to be little or no pre-existing immunity to the novel virus in the human population.⁵ The timing and severity of pandemic influenza is unpredictable, four influenza pandemics have occurred over the past century, with the 1918 pandemic being the most severe in recent history, estimated to have killed up to 50 million people worldwide.[7] Strain-specific pandemic influenza vaccines are manufactured in response to the declaration of a pandemic.[8] Pre-pandemic (also called zoonotic) influenza vaccines are developed in the inter-pandemic period to help protect against influenza strains with pandemic potential; these vaccines can be deployed under government instruction to mitigate the risk of an outbreak or provide a first line of defense in advance of a pandemic vaccine if a pandemic were to be declared.⁸

About CSL Seqirus
CSL Seqirus is part of CSL (ASX:CSL). As one of the largest influenza vaccine providers in the world, CSL Seqirus is a major contributor to the prevention of influenza globally and a transcontinental partner in pandemic preparedness. With state-of-the-art production facilities in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, and leading R&D capabilities, CSL Seqirus utilizes egg, cell and adjuvant technologies to offer a broad portfolio of differentiated influenza vaccines in more than 20 countries around the world.

For more information about CSL Seqirus, visit CSLSeqirus.com.

About CSL
CSL (ASX:CSL) (USOTC:CSLLY) is a global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our three businesses: CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor – provides products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 32,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL.For more information about CSL, visit www.CSL.com.

Intended Audience
This press release is issued from CSL Seqirus in Summit, New Jersey, USA and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved CSL Seqirus products may vary from country to country. Please consult your local regulatory authority on the approval status of CSL Seqirus products.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future results, performance or achievements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. 

MEDIA CONTACT
Em Dekonor
+44 (0)7920500496
Emmanuella.Dekonor@seqirus.com
GL-NOPR-23-0008 | September 2023

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¹ Gavazzi G et al. Estimating the Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Acute and ICU Hospital Bed Usage in an Influenza Season Under Endemic Covid-19 in France. Presented at ESWI 2023. 

² Marbaix S, Dauby N and Mould-Quevedo JF. Cost-Effectiveness of the Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine in the Belgian Elderly Population. Presented at ESWI 2023.  

³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Key Facts about Influenza. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm. Accessed September 2023. 

⁴ CDC. (2023). 2022-2023 Preliminary In-Season Burden Estimate. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm. Accessed September 2023.

⁵ CDC. (2023). Who Needs a Flu Vaccine and When. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm. Accessed September 2023.

⁶ World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). How pandemic influenza emerges. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/how-pandemic-influenza-emerges Accessed September 2023.

⁷ CDC. (2021). Influenza Planning and Response. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-preparedness.htm#:~:text=Four%20influenza%20pandemics%20have%20occurred,may%20be%20in%20short%20supply. Accessed September 2023.

⁸ European Medicines Agency (EMA). (2021). Vaccines for pandemic influenza. Retrieved from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/overview/public-health-threats/pandemic-influenza/vaccines-pandemic-influenza. Accessed September 2023.