CVIM, Pirbright Institute, and VIDO Collaborate to Drive Innovations in Vaccine Manufacturing

USA 14.11.2023

Source: The DairyNews

In a landmark development, The Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) at Pirbright, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Pirbright Institute and The University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO).

The MOU, signed on October 26th at Pirbright, marks an expansion of collaborative efforts focused on advancing vaccine manufacturing and process development for emerging infectious diseases of livestock. Particularly targeting low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), this collaboration aims to contribute significantly to global animal health.

CVIM, established to address the global need for livestock vaccines, seeks to bridge the gap between basic research and late-stage product development. With funding from prominent organizations, including the Gates Foundation, CVIM is dedicated to accelerating the development and production of vaccines, emphasizing orphan livestock and zoonotic diseases, thereby enhancing the UK’s emergency response capability.

VIDO, with nearly five decades of expertise in developing vaccines against emerging infectious diseases, plays a pivotal role in this collaboration. The Vaccine Development Centre (VDC) at VIDO, rooted in veterinary medicine and disease modeling, aligns with the shared goal of prioritizing neglected livestock diseases and urgent emerging zoonotic diseases.

Professor Bryan Charleston FRS, Director of The Pirbright Institute, expressed the growing collaboration as a testament to addressing global challenges related to food security, particularly for LMICs. Dr. Volker Gerdts, Director and CEO of VIDO, highlighted the MOU's significance in establishing a global network to drive discovery innovations to commercial readiness, reinforcing VIDO's commitment to addressing infectious diseases of global importance.

The collaboration between VDC and CVIM underscores a joint effort to accelerate commercial development, focusing on neglected livestock diseases and urgent emerging zoonotic diseases. The partnership is recognized for its potential to make substantial contributions to global health, as articulated by USask President Peter Stoicheff, who emphasized the shared mission of combating diseases that impact both humans and animals.