CEPI and GHIC collaborate to advance vaccine R&D for emerging infectious diseases
OSLO, Norway/ NEW YORK, NY; 19 April 2023: The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation between the two organizations in the fields of vaccine research, development, manufacturing and stockpiling.
CEPI and GHIC have complementary mandates focused on accelerating the development and enabling equitable access to medical countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats. This new collaboration will support both organizations to deliver on their respective missions by fostering closer scientific and technical cooperation between the partners in pursuit of their common goals.
The partners will share information and expertise relevant to medical countermeasures with the potential to address emerging infectious disease threats and public health emergencies. They will also pursue opportunities for practical cooperation including strengthening both organizations' investment portfolios by jointly identifying - and potentially jointly funding - promising vaccine development platforms and technologies for the benefit of global health, including vaccine R&D for priority pathogens and virus families of mutual interest.
Global cooperation is essential for the world to successfully prepare for future epidemics and pandemics, so I am delighted to formalize CEPI's relationship with GHIC. Our partnership with GHIC will enable both organizations to draw on the strengths of the other as we work towards a shared goal of tackling the threat posed by infectious diseases.
We are thrilled to partner with CEPI in pursuit of our shared mission to advance R&D for combatting emerging infectious disease threats, and to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures and enable equitable access for all. GHIC is committed to investing in innovative technologies that have the potential to improve global public health, and our partnership with CEPI is a critical step towards achieving that goal.
ENDS
About CEPI
CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines against future epidemics. Prior to COVID-19, CEPI's work focused on developing vaccines against the Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever virus and Chikungunya virus. It has over 20 vaccine candidates against these pathogens in development. CEPI has also invested in new platform technologies for rapid vaccine development against unknown pathogens (Disease X).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CEPI initiated multiple programmes to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants with a focus on speed, scale and access. These programmes leverage the rapid response platforms developed by CEPI's partners prior to the emergence of COVID-19, as well as new collaborations. The aim is to advance clinical development of a diverse portfolio of safe and effective COVID-19 candidates and to enable fair allocation of these vaccines worldwide through COVAX.
CEPI's 5-year plan lays out a $3.5 billion roadmap to compress vaccine development timelines to 100 days, develop a broadly protective vaccine against COVID-19 and other betacoronaviruses, and create a "library" of vaccine candidates for use against known and unknown pathogens. The plan is available at https://endpandemics.cepi.net.
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About GHIC
GHIC, a nonprofit organization, has been investing in global health innovation for over a decade. GHIC mobilizes private, philanthropic and public capital to invest in life sciences and healthcare technology companies to accelerate the development and accessibility of products with the potential to improve global public health and health equity, and generate sustainable financial returns.
In 2021, GHIC launched a novel partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to use venture capital investments to support the development and commercialization of technologies that respond to or prevent public health emergencies, such as pandemics and other global health security threats.
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