United States: A new project, which began today, will contribute to the improvement of the development and provision of human avian influenza (H5N1) mRNA vaccine candidates to makers in LMICs.
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Argentinian manufacturer Sinergium Biotech will lead this effort through the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) ‘s mRNA Technology Transfer Programme.
In July 2021, the WHO, in collaboration with MPP, started the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme in the interest of capability building in low—and middle-income countries (LMICs), as the WHO reported.
Sinergium Biotech, also a member of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, has created candidates for H5N1 vaccines and hopes to achieve successful initial studies in preclinical models.
After the preclinical data package is completed, the technology, materials, and expertise will be passed on to other manufacturing partners to fast-track the development of H5N1 vaccine candidates and augment the preparedness for possible pandemics.
What more are the experts stating?
According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, “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,” as WHO reported.
Moreover, as per Charles Gore, Executive Director of MPP, “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.”
He continued, “This project embodies our vision and demonstrates a strong commitment to future pandemic preparedness and response.”
It is closely related to the avian influenza virus, which is a powerful source of infection due to the virus circulating among animals and its high chances of turning into a pandemic.
This endeavor complements ongoing efforts under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework to enhance and build up the supply of circulating influenza viruses with a human pandemic threat and enhance LMIC’s access to vaccines.