Biography
Dr. Leonard Friedland, Vice President, Director Scientific Affairs and Public Health, GSK Vaccines, is a pediatrician and research scientist who is passionate about vaccines. He spends his days helping people understand the science of vaccines and complex ideas about how vaccines help to improve public health and the lives of patients. He is also a licensed pediatrician in the state of Pennsylvania.
Following a rewarding academic career in teaching and patient care, he joined GSK in 2003 to focus his efforts on vaccination and public health. Dr. Friedland has held many positions in clinical research and development with GSK since 2003, specializing in infectious disease vaccination.
Prior to his work at GSK, Dr. Friedland was Division Chief, Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Friedland studied medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and conducted his residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and his fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, also in Philadelphia.
He has published over 45 peer reviewed articles during his career, and many book chapters on healthcare and vaccination topics.
He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Alternate Industry Representative to the FDA Vaccines and Related Biologics Product Advisory Committee, and the Industry Representative Member on the Department of Health and Human Services National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
At GSK, Dr. Friedland is involved in the development of vaccines for use in children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, and pregnancy; including vaccines for the prevention of flu, meningitis, whooping cough, rotavirus, hepatitis, measles, RSV and shingles. He is privileged to be GSK’s medical and public health representative and spokesperson for US vaccine topics at CDC, other public health venues, congresses, and media outlets.
Friedland, L.
Workshop
Vaccine Technologies to help improve vaccine performance; HZ as case study
Advances in understanding immunological mechanisms and technological innovation are enabling scientists to develop vaccines based on rational scientific design. Vaccine development today encounters challenges in immunologically difficult populations of older adults and the immunocompromised, and the use of less immunogenic highly specific recombinant antigens. New technologies and novel approaches to vaccine design are being employed to improve vaccine performance. These technologies include DNA and RNA vaccines, live vector vaccines, reverse vaccinology, and novel adjuvants and adjuvant combinations. Adjuvants are substances included in a vaccine to enhance and to modulate the quantity or strength of the immune response to the vaccine antigens. New evidence-based knowledge enables the selection of the right antigen and adjuvant combination leading to the development of better or newer innovative vaccines against pathogens that affect older adults. Recently, several vaccines have been approved and are formulated with a new generation of adjuvants to target diseases associated with immunosenescence: influenza, hepatitis B and herpes zoster. The development of a recombinant antigen, adjuvanted vaccine to prevent herpes zoster is discussed as an illustrative case study. The development of vaccines addressing immunosenescence is a primary prevention intervention to enable older adults to live healthy, independent lives.
FUNDING
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA funded this study and all costs associated with the development of related publications.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
LRF and DOW are employees of the GSK group of companies. LRF holds shares in the GSK group of companies.
