World-leading Coronavirus vaccine R&D roadmap to receive fresh updates

OSLO/ MINNEAPOLIS, US, Oct 11 2024 – An important tool created to guide the development of vaccines against multiple potentially deadly Coronaviruses is being expanded.

The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota will receive US $3.2 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance its open-access Coronavirus Vaccines Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap. CIDRAP will monitor and evaluate R&D progress and catalyse efforts to develop broadly protective vaccines that are effective and long-lasting against currently circulating coronaviruses, as well as new coronaviruses and variants that may emerge in the future. 

The roadmap—developed with guidance from over 50 scientific leaders and financial support from The Rockefeller and Gates Foundations—was launched in 2022. It serves as a global strategy to coordinate the complex research efforts and investments necessary to make more effective, longer lasting, and globally accessible vaccines that could reduce severe illness and death against coronaviruses like those causing COVID-19, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and other future coronaviruses that could spill over from animals to humans.

The key gaps and barriers in the development of broadly protective coronavirus vaccines and the goals and milestones set out to overcome them are identified in five core topic areas: virology, immunology, vaccinology, animal and human infection models, and policy and financing. 

CEPI’s new investment will monitor progress towards achieving the goals and milestones, while helping to set up an open-access online database of current literature and reports related to coronavirus vaccine research.

The funding will also support an open-access online summary of all broadly protective coronavirus vaccines in preclinical and clinical development and an online dashboard tracking funding and investment within this area of research. 

Recognising the critical global leadership role that CEPI plays in furthering coronavirus vaccine research and development, Dr. Michael Osterholm, Regents Professor and Director of CIDRAP, said “CEPI’s support and collaboration with CIDRAP will fast forward our efforts at creating broadly protective coronavirus vaccines.”

The world has already endured three deadly coronavirus epidemics and pandemics within the 21st century: SARS, MERS and COVID-19.

In recognition of their known devastating threat—and additional concern that a more transmissible and lethal coronavirus could strike in the future— the World Health Organization recently listed COVID-19 and other coronaviruses as one of the viral families most likely to cause a future pandemic.

CEPI has therefore broadened its focus from COVID-19 to now supporting 10 innovative vaccine designs and approaches designed to provide broad protection against additional coronaviruses, including the viruses causing SARS and MERS. CEPI has also initiated efforts to establish a “Coronavirus vaccine library”, a store of relevant coronavirus knowledge, data and prototype versions of vaccines that could help to combat the potential emergence of a novel coronavirus.

“COVID-19 was the third new coronavirus to strike in the past 20 years, portending the emergence of further novel coronaviruses with epidemic and pandemic potential” said Dr Kent Kester, Executive Director of Vaccine R&D, CEPI. “Having the latest information on vaccine research and progress within coronavirus vaccine R&D readily and openly available in CIDRAP’s roadmap will enhance the approach being pursued by CEPI and other scientific investigators around the world to develop vaccines that could confer protection against multiple coronaviruses at the same time”. 

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Through this new partnership with CEPI, CIDRAP will form a Coronavirus R&D roadmap Steering Group and Taskforce made up of key experts to provide guidance throughout the project period.
• Funding to the roadmap is set to be provided over a three-year period.
• An overview of the Coronavirus Vaccine R&D Roadmap was published by CIDRAP and co-authors in Vaccine in 2023.

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 the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
Part of the University of Minnesota's Research and Innovation Office, CIDRAP is a global leader in addressing public health preparedness and emerging infectious disease response. Founded in 2001, CIDRAP works to prevent illness and death from targeted infectious disease threats through research and the translation of scientific information into practical applications, policies and solutions.