International Vaccine Institute (IVI) said it has signed a partner service agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate the development of vaccines against new infectious diseases.
Under the accord, IVI will provide technical services for CEPI-funded research and development projects, executing specific activities as needs arise on behalf of CEPI in the course of developing new vaccines against emerging pathogens, the Seoul-based institute said Monday.
If CEPI – a global coalition to prepare for new infectious diseases – places a service order, IVI receives funding and other related support to involve Korean scientists, and enforces the technological service needed for developing vaccines by making the most of its expertise and capacity. The areas of service will include laboratories, vaccine production process development, epidemiological studies, clinical trial and regulation-related support.
CEPI’s extensive portfolio of R&D investments has provided benefits for the vaccine industry through the development of assays, reference standards, and related knowledge, to speed up the development of other vaccines and medical countermeasures against emerging pathogens.
“Our partnership will build on IVI’s existing capabilities in advancing new vaccines for global health, and will complement CEPI’s vaccine portfolio worldwide with an aim to accelerate innovation and increase efficiency in the development of vaccines against emerging pathogens,” CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett said.
Director General of IVI Jerome Kim said, “IVI is excited to partner with CEPI, an organization dedicated to new vaccines to stop future epidemics. IVI already has examples of successful product development partnerships that have brought new vaccines to the field, including the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine.”
The CEPI-IVI partnership will expedite a broader collaboration between CEPI and IVI, and between partners of the two organizations to achieve their shared mission of developing vaccines critical to global health, Kim added.