During the Covid-19 pandemic, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) invested in the research and development (R&D) of 14 vaccine candidates. The Norway-based foundation now aims to develop vaccines against emerging diseases within 100 days.
CEPI CEO Dr Richard Hatchett told The Indian Express that the coalition has embarked on a mission to reduce vaccine development timelines and set up a global vaccine library.
During his brief visit to Pune, Dr Hatchett said the collaboration between public and private sectors would be vital to achieving the 100-day mission. “My visit to India allows me to reconnect with partners here. There are several active technical partnerships that we have set up — agreement with Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI); Department of Biotechnology, Government of India; and other Indian companies like Biological E, Bharat Biotech,” he said.
“Through the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, we have worked extensively with the Serum Institute of India (SII) all through the pandemic. In Pune, discussions are going on with the SII about how to deepen our partnerships,” Dr Hatchett added.
“We don’t know when and where the next disease is coming up. Closer interactions between humans and animals will be involved. We have to learn to live in this new era of epidemics and climate change, and it starts with being prepared,” Dr Hatchett said in his plenary talk at the 20th edition of BioAsia 2023 (February 24-26), Asia’s largest Life Sciences and Healthcare forum, organised by the Telangana government.
The CEPI was set up in 2017 and receives funding from governments, private investors and foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. It launched a $3.5 billion plan for its activities in 2022-2027, which includes funding research in prioritised pathogens and collaborating with vaccine developers to create prototype vaccines for ‘Disease X’, a novel or unanticipated pathogen.
In recognition of the potential impact that earlier, widespread availability of vaccines could have, the CEPI CEO said vaccines should be ready for initial authorisation and manufacturing at scale within 100 days of a pandemic pathogen.
“How fast can we develop a vaccine? We need to get a 100-day mission – with a shift in paradigm by systematic preparedness and focus on operational excellence – start immediately, Day 1. By Day 30, do clinical trials of phases 1 and 2. Clinical trial teams should take this as their mission. Capture data on the safety and excellence of vaccines. Help the regulators get to the point where they can deal with having a break-the-glass capability,” the CEO added.
The CEPI has proposed developing a global prototype library for new vaccines. “There are at least 270 viruses that come from 27 viral families. For some of the viral families – Pox viruses- it may be possible to develop widely protected vaccines. How do we use the global virus library if we haven’t encountered a virus before? The idea is to adapt our vaccines against the new viruses,” he said.
“We have identified the right proteins and immunogens for different viral families so that we know what we need to insert in rapid response platforms to begin developing vaccines against new threats,” Dr Hatchett added.
“For the first time as a result of the Covid experience, many government partners worldwide are seriously thinking of using public sector funding to support counter-measures development. The US has been doing it for the last 20 years. Europe has established a Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Japan has set up Strategic Centre of Biomedical Advanced Vaccine Research (SCARDA) and others are considering how to configure existing institutions. As part of G20, India has the tremendous opportunity for leadership in the world and for its commitments to respond to medical emergencies,” Dr Hatchett said.