The World Health Organization has launched a new development project to accelerate the manufacture and production of new mRNA vaccines, with a focus on human avian influenza (H5N1).
Sinergium Biotech of Argentina is leading the effort with support from the WHO and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP).
According to the WHO, the newly announced project aims to “build capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for the development and production of mRNA-based vaccines”, which was jointly developed by the WHO and the MPP.
The program was launched in July 2021, and Sinergium Biotech, one of its partners, is now said to have developed potential vaccine candidates for H5N1 (avian influenza). Avian influenza viruses are considered by the WHO and other stakeholders to be a “significant public health risk due to their widespread circulation in animals and potential to cause a future pandemic”.
Sinergium Biotech is currently seeking to establish preclinical models to prove the concept. Once this is done, the technology and expertise will be shared with other manufacturing partners. This will facilitate faster development of H5N1 vaccine candidates and bolster “pandemic preparedness efforts”.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomes the focus on new mRNA vaccines.
– This initiative exemplifies why WHO established the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme – to foster greater research, development and production in low- and middle-income countries, so that when the next pandemic arrives, the world will be better prepared to mount a more effective and more equitable response, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Other mRNA vaccines
Charles Gore, Executive Director of the MPP, emphasizes the importance of the program.
– When we created the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme with WHO, our goal was to enable low- and middle-income countries to lead development efforts, foster collaboration, share resources, and disseminate knowledge. This project embodies our vision and demonstrates a strong commitment to future pandemic preparedness and response.
The new development is said to complement ongoing work under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, whose stated goal is “to improve and strengthen the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential; and to increase the access of developing countries to vaccines and other pandemic related supplies”.
– This announcement underscores the importance of not only geographically diversifying the innovation and production of health technologies including and recognizing the capacities in Latin American and the Caribbean, but also the importance of early planning for access and the sharing of knowledge and technologies during the research and development processes, said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of the Pan American Health Organization.
Since its inception, the mRNA Technology Transfer Program has developed a platform used to evaluate the immunogenicity, efficacy and safety of a covid-19 vaccine candidate in preclinical animal models.
Afrigen, the center where the platform was developed, is now transferring this technology to manufacturing partners for adaptation to other disease targets. The WHO and MPP emphasize that the progress is an “important part” of their efforts to improve “global access” to mRNA vaccines.
