Event: CEPI and IABS to co-host December meeting to discuss licensure of vaccine platform technologies

Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the CEPI / IABS workshop has been postponed to December 1-2, 2020.

Details about the meeting will be provided at a later date.

IABS will carry forward all current registrations unless otherwise notified.

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Historically, vaccine development has been a long, risky, and costly endeavour. Currently, it takes years, even decades, to test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine.

But the development of pioneering new vaccine platform technologies could rapidly speed up and produce candidate vaccines in a matter of weeks or months. Such rapid-response platforms are of particular importance within an outbreak situation to accelerate response to the spread of known or novel pathogens.

Our upcoming event, co-hosted with the International Alliance for Biological Standardization (IABS), will explore the potential benefit of creating a specific registration procedure for these platform technologies.

 

CEPI-IABS meeting to discuss platform technology licensure

With the number of emerging infectious diseases growing rapidly and our highly interconnected world providing countless opportunities for emerging infectious diseases to quickly spread, we need to ensure that we not only utilise innovative platform technologies to rapidly respond to epidemics, but also have systems in place to allow for these platforms to be efficiently and effectively licensed.

Organised by an expert Scientific Committee, our two-day event will bring together researchers and regulatory agencies to discuss the benefits of creating a specific registration programme for platform technologies.

The two-day symposium was due to take place in June. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the CEPI / IABS workshop has been rescheduled to Dec 1-2, 2020.

Further details of the meeting will be provided at a later date. IABS will carry forward all current registrations unless otherwise notified.
 

CEPI's investments in vaccine platform technologies

Since our launch in 2017, CEPI has opened two funding calls for the development of platform technologies against Disease X and other emerging infectious diseases. We also recently ran an additional funding opportunity to quickly develop and manufacture already proven vaccine technology approaches that can be used against COVID-19.

Operating through a "plug-and-play" approach — whereby the platform can be adapted for use against different pathogens by inserting new genetic or protein sequences — these innovative technologies have the potential to radically accelerate vaccine development, elicit rapid onset of immunity, and quickly scale-up production of vaccine candidates against emerging infectious diseases.

Our current call for proposals, open until October 2020, is also offering funding to companies and academic groups with promising ideas for novel platforms to develop vaccines as well as immunoprophylactics, which aim to support or boost a person's immune system to fight back against potential infections. We are encouraging interested parties with technologies that might help CEPI achieve our mission to speak with us before submitting a proposal.

As with all of our funded programmes, it is imperative vaccines produced using our platform technologies be made available in an outbreak situation to populations when and where they are needed to end an outbreak or curtail an epidemic, regardless of ability to pay.


For further information on the meeting, please visit the IABS website.


Image Caption and Credit: Close-up of scientist hands with microscope, examining samples and liquid, Credit: Bogdanhoda/ Shutterstock