New project aims to bolster global vaccine preparedness against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2

19 November 2024; OSLO; SEATTLE: CEPI and PATH are embarking on a new project to ensure the availability of antibody reagents—critical for measuring and analysing a vaccine’s potency and ability to induce an immune response—for the development of vaccines against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2.

With US$1.46 million in funding from CEPI, awarded as part of CEPI and PATH’s Implementing Partnership Agreement, the project will see PATH lead efforts to generate, screen, characterise and scale-up reagents for the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-1, with a focus on their ability to detect the viral antigens expressed from the vaccine. PATH has already established a bank of SARS-CoV-2 reagents; CEPI’s additional funding will further enable manufacturers’ continued use of the reagents by extending their real-time stability through 2026.

Having access to standardised reagents enables an accurate assessment of a vaccine’s potency, helping to avoid inconsistent results and potential delays in vaccine approval. Establishing reagents for SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2—that also provide information such as stability of the vaccine over time or in different conditions—means researchers and manufacturers have the tools they need to develop and release vaccines quickly in future responses.

“Although the last outbreak of SARS-CoV-1 was some time ago, its potential threat to society remains. Meanwhile, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to mutate and could lead to variants that require new or updated vaccines,” said Dr Raafat Fahim, Acting Executive Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain, CEPI. “If outbreaks or new variants emerge, pre-established and standardised reagents for both viruses could help researchers and vaccine developers quickly adapt existing vaccines or create new ones, cutting down response time.”

“Ensuring these antibody reagents are available to vaccine researchers and manufacturers will enable quick and reliable product development—important always, but crucial in emergency situations,” said Dr Jessica White, Senior Research and Development Officer and project leader at PATH. “PATH is proud to be part of this effort to ensure pandemic preparedness and strengthen global health security against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.”

PATH will work with Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine to select a SARS-CoV-1 specific antibody for scale-up and distribution; Baylor was also involved in the project to develop a bank of SARS-CoV-2 reagents. These reagents will be made available globally and provided free of charge to low and middle-income country (LMIC) researchers, including vaccine manufacturers through the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), helping to create an equitable source of antibody standards to be used in the development and manufacturing of vaccines against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, together with the CEPI-funded and WHO-established International Standards for SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

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Notes to Editors

About CEPI

CEPI was launched in 2017 as an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic disease threats and enable equitable access to them. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens and is also advancing the development of rapid response platforms for vaccines against a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

About PATH

PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 45 years of experience forging multisector partnerships, and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.