Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) has announced the launch of a new
program to advance the development of a measles and rubella vaccine for
manufacture in Senegal.
Technology transfer of the MR vaccine is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with Batavia Biosciences and the Univercells Group.
The grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will deploy Batavia’s Hip-Vax intensified production process for GMP measles and rubella material and Univercells’ NevoLine™ technology platform to accelerate manufacturing and affordable access to essential and epidemic vaccines in Africa.
IPD will produce the vaccine for
essential, routine immunization campaigns in low- and middle-income countries and for outbreak and catch-up campaigns.
Production will be transferred to the state-of-the-art MADIBA facility, a regional manufacturing hub for COVID-19 and other epidemic vaccines with a capacity to produce 300 million doses for use in Africa.
Dr Amadou Alpha Sall, CEO of IPD, said: “By manufacturing affordable measles and rubella vaccines and diagnostics in Africa, the region will be one step closer to a diversified manufacturing landscape for epidemic preparedness and improving the supply chain for essential vaccines for routine immunization. This will help countries
in the region build autonomy and reach every child with lifesaving vaccines.”
Dr Christopher Yallop, COO of Batavia Biosciences added: “We are privileged to be able to work with Institut Pasteur de Dakar and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance this innovative vaccine technology with a key manufacturing
partner. Our HIP-Vax manufacturing process technology, developed on the
NevoLine™ platform, is designed to deliver vaccines at high yield and very low cost, increasing a8ordability and availability.”
José Castillo, co-founder of Univercells, commented: “We are honoured to partner with Institut Pasteur de Dakar and Batavia Biosciences, and to participate in this
historic initiative that will increase access to the measles and rubella vaccines on the African continent and across the globe. Supporting and nurturing biomanufacturing autonomy is at the heart of Univercells’ mission, and we are thrilled that our technology will help enable progress towards regional autonomy.
Knowing that our breakthrough vaccine manufacturing platform NevoLine™, initially funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2016, will now help accelerate the manufacture of vaccines in Africa, is very exciting.”.
