IAVI: Applying Cutting-Edge Technologies in HIV Vaccine Research to Develop Novel Vaccine Modalities for Emerging Infectious Diseases
Technology: Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) vaccines
Product Types: Vaccine, prophylactic
Disease Area: Lassa Fever, COVID-19, Marburg Virus, Ebola Virus, Marburg virus disease, Sudan Ebolavirus disease
The PDP model can be exceptionally nimble. One example of this has been the ability of PDPs, typically dedicated to a single or defined group of diseases, to pivot their expertise and capabilities to contribute to new health challenges, such as the global response to COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases (EID’s). IAVI exemplifies this flexibility as it has translated work on HIV vaccine development to identifying and developing a platform of a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) viral vector to develop vaccines to combat HIV, COVID-19, and other diseases, spearheading novel partnerships and business models to ensure that these can become globally accessible.
The VSV vector has been supported by a range of funders, who, through their early investment in IAVI’s HIV vaccine platform research, have enabled IAVI to develop this technology into a highly adaptable tool to address other infectious diseases. For example, the VSV vector provided a means to rapidly develop a vaccine candidate for Sudan ebolavirus. The urgent need for such a vaccine became particularly evident after an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in eastern Africa at the end of 2022, where IAVI’s vaccine was among the three WHO priority candidates. Furthermore, with donated vials of a related candidate vaccine from Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), IAVI was able to get 2,160 doses to Uganda within 80 days of the declaration of the epidemic.
Thankfully, this outbreak was officially declared over on January 11, 2022. However, future outbreaks of EVD and other EIDs continue to threaten global health security. At the time of writing, Marburg, for example, represents an emerging threat in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, both of which have never before recorded cases of the disease.
“Emerging infectious diseases are here to stay, and the number of outbreaks occurring each year is increasing given factors such as climate change, urbanization, aging populations with aging immune systems, increasing epizootic and spillover events, and increased migration and global travel”
— DR. SWATI GUPTA, VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND EPIDEMIOLOGY, IAVI, in STAT, January 11, 2023
Due to the global nature of EIDs and a high burden on low-and middle-income countries, an access-informed approach to vaccine development is the highest priority. As a PDP, IAVI achieves this through strategic partnerships such as the one with Batavia Biosciences, who are focused on delivering sustainable manufacturing solutions and are working on accelerating the development of vaccines for EIDs using IAVI’s VSV vector. This will allow work to continue on the Sudan Ebolavirus vaccine candidate, as well as for other EIDs such as Lassa Fever and Marburg.
Thanks to partnerships with industry, academia, community partners, and others, IAVI and other PDPs are able to leverage their portfolios to adapt and respond to EIDs. These types of partnerships are essential for building preparedness for future pandemics and supporting global health security with equity and access at the center.