Words by GOLD newsdesk
The development of a new measles and rubella vaccine for Senegal is set to be propelled forward by a new programme launched by the Insitut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD).
Through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IPD will partner with Batavia Biosciences and Univercells to accelerate manufacturing and affordable access to essential and epidemic vaccines in Africa. The institute will deploy Batavia’s Hip-Vax intensified production process for measles and rubella vaccine material, in combination with Univercells’ NevoLine Upstream platform.
Production will be transferred to Senegal's MADIBA facility – a 300-million-dose capacity regional manufacturing hub for COVID-19 and other epidemic vaccines.
“By manufacturing affordable measles and rubella vaccines and diagnostics in Africa, the region will be one step closer to a diversified manufacturing landscape for epidemic preparedness and improving the supply chain for essential vaccines for routine immunisation,” said Dr Amadou Alpha Sall, CEO, IPD. “This will help countries in the region build autonomy and reach every child with lifesaving vaccines.”
Also commenting on the announcement, Dr Christopher Yallop, COO, Batavia Biosciences added: “We are privileged to be able to work with Institut Pasteur de Dakar and receive funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance this innovative vaccine technology with a key manufacturing partner. Our HIP-Vax manufacturing process technology, developed on the NevoLine Upstream platform, is designed to deliver vaccines at high yield and very low cost, increasing affordability and availability”.