Transatlantic scientists to transition traditional vaccine development onto rapid-response platform for faster outbreak control

11 December 2024; OSLO; DARLINGTON: Scientists in the UK, Canada and Brazil are seeking to develop new technology that could speed up parts of the vaccine development process by several months and save over £1 million in development costs—helping the world to respond faster and more equitably to future epidemic and pandemic threats.

CEPI is providing £2.16 million (US$2.8 million) to CPI for a proof-of-concept study towards the development of the University of Toronto’s self-contained MANGO (Manufacturing on the go) device, which aims to automate the process of Virus-Like Particle manufacturing. Virus-like particles, or VLPs, are proteins that look similar enough to viruses that the immune system responds to them as if they were a live virus without containing any genetic, viral material. VLPs are safely used in some vaccines already; however, the process of producing VLP-based vaccines can be time-consuming as they typically need to grow in living cells. 

The MANGO device will employ a technique called cell-free expression, which doesn’t rely on living cells to produce the VLP, negating the need for cell cloning, manufacture and maintenance of Master and Working Cell Banks—necessary steps required before VLP manufacturing can begin—saving months in development time. The MANGO technology means the actual process of manufacturing VLPs could also be dramatically reduced from 7-9 days to just a single day.

CPI will work collaboratively with multi-national consortia partners, including Imperial College London, University of Leeds, University of Toronto, Liberum Biotech, University of Waterloo and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FioCruz), to accelerate the development of such an approach for vaccine manufacture.

The CEPI-CPI partnership supports the 100 Days Mission—a goal embraced by leaders of the G7 and G20 to reduce vaccine development timelines to a little over three months in response to a pandemic threat.

Dr Raafat Fahim, Acting Executive Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain, CEPI, said, “Virus-like particle-based vaccines are well established already, but—until now—the development process has been protracted. The potentially dramatic time-savings that the MANGO device offers could see VLP-based vaccines transition onto a rapid response platform, directly supporting CEPI’s goal to respond to a Disease X threat with a new vaccine in as little as 100 days after its discovery.” 

Dr Philip Probert, Technology Lead, CPI, said: “The development and manufacture of virus-like particle vaccines represents a valuable opportunity for innovation in order to accelerate timelines and reduce process complexity. Working with our international partners, we will apply a novel combination of cell-free expression technology and bespoke hardware, to drive a step change in the time required to supply VLP vaccines. We are delighted to be working with CEPI in support of their 100 Days Mission and facilitating equitable access to life-saving vaccines.”

Conceptually, the user will simply load the MANGO device with the required vaccine input materials and provide it with instructions to make a specific vaccine. From that point on, the entire process would be automated to create the final product: a VLP-based vaccine.

If successful, in a rapid response scenario, the MANGO device could help reduce the need for traditional facilities and equipment, skilled workforce requirements, cold chain storage, and the supply of raw materials associated with current VLP manufacturing. All of this would potentially reduce the cost of goods and further enable regional manufacturing in Global South countries, which will help to improve equitable access to vaccines during future outbreaks. 

Enabling global equitable access to vaccines is central to CEPI’s work and at the heart of the 100 Days Mission. Innovations that accelerate the speed and scaling up of vaccine manufacturing will make a vital contribution to access when facing a future novel infectious disease by reducing the period during which vaccines against new pathogens are in short supply, thereby significantly increasing the prospects for more equitable distribution.

CEPI and CPI are committed to enabling equitable access to the outputs of this CEPI-supported programme, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy. This ultimately includes commitment to vaccines being available first to populations at risk when and where they are needed at an affordable price should a related vaccine be developed further using CEPI funding. Project results, including data generated as part of this project, will be published open access for the benefit of the global scientific community.

—ENDS—

About CEPI

CEPI is 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 threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or 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 CPI

CPI catalyses the adoption of advanced technologies and manufacturing solutions to benefit people, places, and our planet. 

We’re a pioneering social enterprise that accelerates the development, scale-up and commercialisation of smart AgriFoodTech, energy storage, HealthTech, materials, and pharma innovations. Through our incredible innovation experts and infrastructure, we look beyond the obvious to transform healthcare and drive towards a sustainable future.

As a trusted partner of industry, academia, government, entrepreneurs and the investment community, we connect the dots within the innovation ecosystem to make great ideas and inventions a reality. We believe by working together we can build a better collective future, and as part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, we facilitate access to world-class organisations to deliver transformation across industries and landscapes. 

Creating lasting global impact from the North of England and Scotland, we invest in people and disruptive technologies to invigorate economies, create circular supply chains and make our world a better place.

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