CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)

For pastoral farmers in sub-Saharan Africa the threat of Rift Valley fever is a source of great fear. Not just fear of what the disease does to people, but also fear of what it does to animals—and how that brings the threat of hunger, malnutrition and starvation for their families. One of the most devastating human Rift Valley fever, or RVF, epidemics was in Kenya and East Africa in 1997 and 1998, infecting about 27,500 people and killing more than 400 of them, but this deadly outbreak was by no means the last. To help reduce the threat of Rift Valley fever, CEPI invests in a range of research programmes spanning vaccine development, disease burden studies, and outbreak preparedness. For this new story, CEPI spoke to researchers working to reduce the risks posed by Rift Valley fever in Africa and beyond, including Prof. George Warimwe, who is heading a CEPI-supported, first-of-its-kind Phase II clinical trial—due to start May 2025—of an experimental human vaccine, ChAdOx1 RVF. Learn more about this research and what it means for protecting lives and livelihoods ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e-viwG5e

Are mRNA vaccines safe? How do protein subunit vaccines work? Do viral vector vaccines have side effects? For #WorldImmunizationWeek, take a look at a new collection of explainers from CEPI that answer some of the most commonly searched questions about the vaccine technology behind the immunisations that help to protect vulnerable populations around the world. 🔵 Viral vector vaccines - What they are, and what they are not: https://lnkd.in/e5drQ-Xz 🔵 mRNA vaccines - What they are, and what they are not: https://lnkd.in/edurJJBG 🔵 Protein subunit vaccines - What they are, and what they are not: https://lnkd.in/emhk2Wgf

💡 Pioneering new research is set to investigate a promising vaccine technology designed to remove the need for cold-chain storage and condense multi-dose regimens into a single, controlled-release vaccination. CEPI is providing up to $5 million to VitriVax to further develop their ALTA® technology as it could offer a simplified way to protect populations during an outbreak and help control the spread of a threatening pathogen.   The company’s innovative approach controls the release of the vaccine in the body over time. By precisely adjusting the thickness of the coating around each vaccine, scientists can determine the timing of dose release in the body. “A multi-dose vaccine regimen delivered in a single shot would help ensure that more people are fully protected from a virus over time,” explains Kent Kester, CEPI’s Executive Director of Vaccine R&D. “The vaccine could be especially advantageous for use by nomadic populations and refugees, as well as in conflict settings where there may be difficulties in making repeat visits to the clinic for follow-up doses.” https://lnkd.in/eqdBiBN9

🚀 We're now on Bluesky! Follow us [@cepi.net] for the latest on epidemic and pandemic preparedness news from CEPI ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g5mjcKYJ

One of Dr Kumblytee Johnson’s most heartbreaking experiences as a doctor was seeing a heavily pregnant woman come into Phebe Hospital in Liberia’s Suakoko Bong County with a high fever, sore throat and severe facial swelling. These were telltale signs of #LassaFever, and Dr Johnson’s experience of this haemorrhagic virus told her there was a slim chance the woman and her unborn child would survive. With support from CEPI, researchers are not only bringing the prospect of protection against Lassa closer than ever before, CEPI-backed vaccine studies are also deepening crucial scientific understanding of the Arenavirus family that could one day help prevent the next epidemic or pandemic. Learn more about how CEPI-backed vaccine trials in West Africa are boosting global viral defences 💡 https://bit.ly/4lxx1BB

CEPI statement on conclusion of Pandemic Agreement negotiations:  "This is an historic step forward in tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time – a challenge that can only be overcome effectively through international cooperation. CEPI commends the commitment of countries and negotiators to advancing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the world a safer place for all.  With equity, solidarity, strengthened accountability, transparency and international collaboration as its underlying principles, the Pandemic Agreement will help to tackle the systemic roots of inequity and drive the system-wide change needed to respond more quickly and more equitably to future pandemics. CEPI applauds the commitments that will help to overcome many of the barriers to access that were laid bare by the inadequacies of the global COVID-19 pandemic response. These include requirements for publicly-funded R&D to include equitable access obligations, commitments to support sustainable and geographically diversified local production and facilitate the transfer of technology, and the establishment of a multilateral pathogen benefits sharing system and global supply chain and logistics network that, together, will help to strengthen research and innovation and support global access to medical countermeasures based on public health need rather than ability to pay. We look forward to the adoption of the Agreement by the World Health Assembly and stand ready to support its implementation. However, we must also recognise that the Agreement on its own will not deliver the level of pandemic preparedness the world urgently needs. It will take sustained investment, enduring political commitment and unprecedented scientific collaboration to create the systemic change needed to protect not just our own generation, but generations to come. https://lnkd.in/esU9gyGa

The race is on. 🏃♂️➡️ As part of a “pressure test”, backed by CEPI, scientists at The University of Queensland have been tasked with crafting a vaccine for the Chapare virus—a haemorrhagic fever—in just 150 days, under conditions akin to the time pressure of a real pandemic. 🔬 https://lnkd.in/ebs7antC CEPI’s overarching goal is to help the world make a safe and effective vaccine against any viral pandemic threat in 100 days, which could potentially contain outbreaks before they spiral out of control. Known as the 100 Days Mission, had it been achieved against the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus it would have saved over 8 million people from dying of COVID-19 by the end of 2021 and prevented $14.35 trillion of economic damage. The UQ Rapid Response Vaccine Team, led by Prof Keith Chappell, will now produce 26 vaccine candidates against Chapare virus using its re-engineered molecular clamp technology, which successfully completed a proof-of-concept phase I clinical trial last year. A clinical grade batch of the most promising candidate will be produced, and the process fully documented and reviewed for CEPI to keep on hand for potential future use.

Today’s approval of Valneva’s CEPI-supported Chikungunya vaccine by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) is a crucial milestone toward making the vaccine available in countries in the Global South where the disease is endemic.   Welcoming the news, CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett described the authorization as “a significant step forward in our collective efforts to expand access to an important vaccine to not only benefit the travelers’ market but also populations in need in outbreak-affected countries.” The partnership between Valneva, CEPI and the EU's Horizon Europe programme is accelerating access to the vaccine in the Global South by supporting clinical trials in vulnerable groups and technology transfer to additional manufacturers in Latin America and Asia. 

Our partners Wellcome Leap’s R3 Global Program are seeking proposals to build the first global RNA brokerage platform. Deadline for submissions is 22 April 2025. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gaAU6Kc9

I'm excited to share several recent developments in CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)'s #biosecurity work: 1. New Biosecurity Webpage Launch CEPI has unveiled a dedicated biosecurity section on our website: cepi.net/biosecurity. This platform offers insights into our biosecurity efforts, access to the September 2024 CEPI Biosecurity Strategy, and the latest updates in this important area of CEPI work. 2. Release of the CEPI Biosecurity Implementation Plan (2025–2026) In alignment with our Biosecurity Strategy, we've published the CEPI Biosecurity Implementation Plan for 2025–2026, available on our biosecurity webpage. This plan outlines 11 objectives categorized by strategic priority, detailing our planned activities, goals, and timelines for the next two years. We'll assess our progress after the first year and adjust the second-year activities as needed based on our findings and emerging opportunities. 3. Updated CEPI Third Party Code with Biosecurity Provisions We've revised our Third Party Code to incorporate #biosecurity and #biosafety considerations. This code sets forth principles and requirements for CEPI awardees across a range of areas, reflecting our commitment to the highest standards of ethical behavior and compliance across all partnerships. In the coming months, CEPI will work to develop and publish our first biosecurity policy. A major thanks to the CEPI biosecurity team, including Zoe Adler, Claire Standley, Jane Shallcross, Neil Cherian, sana masmoudi, Faith Bagamuhunda, Patricia Olinger, JM, and Bindushree R, as well as many, many other CEPI colleagues too numerous to name individually, who all played important roles in supporting and advancing these efforts. We're excited about this progress, and look forward to our next important phase of translating ideas in the strategy and implementation plan into action and impact!