Future-proofing African vaccine production
CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)
We want to stop future epidemics by developing new vaccines for a safer world.
Against the backdrop of the African Union’s goal to produce 60% of the continent's vaccines in the region by 2040, there is a pressing need to secure a resilient supply of the essential input materials necessary to meet Africa’s expanding vaccine manufacturing capacity. But this is no simple task. The manufacture of vaccines requires a multitude of materials: from excipients and active ingredients to rubber stoppers and the medical-grade glass used for vaccine vials.
To address this challenge, Africa CDC and CEPI co-hosted the African Vaccine Manufacturing Supply Chain Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, earlier this month. Over three days, around 150 industry and scientific experts from across Africa gathered to identify challenges and explore solutions to help establish resilient vaccine manufacturing supply chains in the region and to future-proof Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Participants delved into the key obstacles that must be addressed—from input material supply issues, facilitating ease of access, forming supply consortia to simplifying trade flow logistics—as well as possible solutions. As a next step, Africa CDC, supported by CEPI, will distil the Forum’s findings and plan to operationalise some of the solutions put forward by participants, such as localising supply of input materials or forming a regional consortium to enhance procurement mechanisms.
The Forum findings will lay out a roadmap that will help enhance preparedness for future outbreaks and enable swifter, more equitable access to vaccines for people in Africa.
Testing the tests: Scientists seek out best on-the-spot diagnostics for deadly Nipah and Lassa
As part of the vaccine development process, high-quality diagnostic tests are essential, particularly for the optimal design and conduct of clinical trials. With the vaccine pipelines for both Nipah and Lassa progressing towards late-phase clinical trials, robust, on-the-spot tests will be vital to rapidly identify cases. Along with the critical need for tests to ensure early detection for rapid patient management and outbreak detection, they are also key to aiding the identification of high-risk areas to better design efficacy trials, and to providing proper case management for infected patients enrolled in studies.
Responding to this demand, CEPI is funding up to US$14.9 million to FIND in a 4-year project that aims to advance the best on-the-spot tests for Lassa fever and Nipah virus. The aim is for successful diagnostics to be progressed to licensure for widespread use.
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LenioBio will receive up to US$2 million to test their technology, known as ALiCE?, a plant-based innovation that could rapidly manufacture vaccine clinical trial material in as little as 20 days.
CEPI and the Pan American Health Organization?(PAHO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster collaboration aimed at enhancing regional preparedness and promoting equitable access to vaccines and other health technologies against future outbreak threats in the Americas.
CEPI has signed an institutional partnership agreement with?Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum for the debate of international security policy, to advance biosecurity to the centre of future global health conversations.
In this new blog, and in his new role as Managing Director of the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC), Dr Frederik Kristensen outlines where regionalized manufacturing progress has been made, how the RMVC seeks to support these regionally-led initiatives, and his wider plans for the Collaborative.
Celebrating CEPI’s women scientists
To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science earlier this month, CEPI highlighted its 3-part #AskWomenInScience series with new Q&As added from some of CEPI's women scientists.
Part one explores the career experiences of CEPI’s women scientists, from the best and worst career advice to the role models they have described as being most influential. Part Two discusses the greatest challenges and barriers they have faced in their scientific careers. While Part Three takes a look at the biggest opportunities for aspiring girl and women scientists and highlights what changes are needed at a systemic level to attract more women into science.
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Explore all three of them to learn more about their experiences of being and succeeding as a woman in science.
Preparing for the unknown: meet DISEASE X
With global health security leaders focussed on drawing up a new Pandemic Agreement to help the world better defend itself against future pandemic threats, CEPI’s Chief Scientific Writer, Kate Kelland, invites you to meet DISEASE X.
In her book, DISEASE X: The 100 Days Mission to End Pandemics, first published in hardback in the UK in February 2023, Kelland reminds readers that pandemic disease COVID-19 was “not the first and won’t be the last Disease X”. But she also emphasises that the world can do better in the face of the next pandemic threat: “Just because we can’t predict its features or the timing of its arrival, that doesn’t mean we can’t plan for it,” she writes.
Described by reviewers as “engaging”, “uplifting”, and “accessible”, DISEASE X: The 100 Days Mission to End Pandemics is now out in a new paperback edition and available around the world via online bookstores. All proceeds go to the WHO Foundation.
100 Words On… Input Materials
Global vaccine manufacturing supply chains faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine inequity was exacerbated by shortages of raw materials, packaging materials, consumables, and equipment. As regions expand their vaccine manufacturing self-reliance, ensuring a steady supply of input materials is crucial—these range from active vaccine ingredients through to vials needed for delivery. The number of input materials required per vaccine varies; for example, for one COVID-19 vaccine, at least 280 separate components were identified as critical. To improve vaccine access, CEPI is collaborating with partners to establish more resilient supply chains capable of rapid scale-up during future outbreaks. ?
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Other opportunities
Registrations are now open for the second six-day Advanced Course in Vaccinology led by?THSTI and supported by CEPI funding. The free course provides a comprehensive overview of the design, development and commercialisation of vaccines. Deadline to apply: 31st March 2024.
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If you only have time to read one thing: A spiking fever: Long neglected, Lassa fever is surging in West Africa. Researchers want to know why (Science Magazine)
Lassa fever is a potentially deadly disease affecting West Africa, and climate change and population growth could help extend its reach. Despite its epidemic potential, no vaccines are currently available for use. Since our launch in 2017, CEPI has been working closely with experts to advance Lassa fever science. In this article, Science Magazine speaks to CEPI's Director of Epidemiology and Data Science, Gabrielle Breugelmans, and frontline experts from across the region about their improved understanding of the disease and what's next for our response to the disease.
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Did you know: CEPI is working with its partners across West Africa on the Enable study, the largest-ever research programme aiming to assess the true burden of Lassa fever infections in West Africa. The study includes around 23,000 participants and is running across Benin, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone; its findings will be used to guide future Lassa fever vaccine trials.
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