CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)

Earlier this month, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention officially began site training and participant enrollment for Enable 1.5—the world’s largest Lassa fever study—at trial sites across Nigeria. Working with partners in the region, the CEPI-funded initiative will invite 5,000 people, including children and infants, to take part in the year-long study at sites in Nigeria, which will also be extended to Sierra Leone and Liberia in the future. The new research hopes to improve scientific understanding of how commonly Lassa fever occurs, how rates of infection and symptoms vary across selected locations, ages, sex and previous exposure to the virus, and the extent of post-infection symptoms like hearing loss. Scientists will also look at how often people may be co-infected with Lassa fever and malaria since co-infections may complicate the clinical course of each disease. Learn more about Enable 1.5 and how the data generated will help inform outbreak preparedness efforts, including the development of a Lassa vaccine ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ggYaZtbS

Following its initial emergency declaration in August this year, the World Health Organization has stated that #mpox remains a global problem. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the hardest hit, while neighbouring countries Burundi and Uganda have also seen recent jumps in infections. The contagious Clade 1b variant was also detected earlier this month in the UK and the US. CEPI is working closely with Africa CDC and the World Health Organization, alongside global partners, to leverage our position and both help to end the current outbreak and ensure that the region is better prepared for future cases. Our work includes: 1. Filling in crucial R&D gaps, funding three groundbreaking studies in the DRC that could help to expand access to Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine, MVA-BN, to populations most at risk 2. Helping to coordinate research activities, align working groups and expedite national vaccine approvals 3. Increasing access to doses through the Access and Allocation Mechanism for mpox, which CEPI sits on. Nearly 900,000 doses of the initial vaccine stockpile were allocated earlier this month to nine countries in Africa. The bulk of these are heading to the DRC 4. Supporting the development of BioNTech SE’s mRNA-based mpox vaccine in early clinical trials. “While progress is being made, mpox is clearly not yet under control” says Dr Kristine Rose, CEPI’s Mpox Disease Programme Lead. “We need to further improve our understanding of the vaccines and the virus and turn vaccines into vaccinations, while also advancing the development and access to other countermeasures like diagnostics and therapeutics." Dr Mona Nemer, Chief Scientific Adviser Canada and Chair of International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat, last week called for greater action in response to the outbreak in The Guardian:

Are you a world-class HR leader? Do you have experience leading and improving HR initiatives in a multidisciplinary, geographically, and culturally diverse organisation? Do you want to be part of a pioneering organisation that is working to reduce or even eliminate the future risk of epidemic or pandemics threats? Then look no further: CEPI is inviting candidates to apply for the role of Executive Director of People & Organisation. We’re looking for a HR leader with a challenging mindset who can strategically lead and improve CEPI's HR initiatives, fostering a mission-driven culture that attracts, develops, and retains employees while ensuring agility and effectiveness in pursuit of CEPI's pandemic-busting mission. The Executive Director of People & Organisation will report to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and will work closely also with the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team. Find out more about this unique opportunity and how to apply here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_29JyQw

From concept to clinic: Working together to develop a Lassa fever vaccine 💡 🔬 Last week our Executive Director of Vaccine R&D, Kent Kester, joined disease experts and vaccine developers on stage at #TropMed24 for IAVI's symposium. The deep-dive session looked at the progress in making a #Lassa vaccine and the importance of collaboration in supporting research, preparedness and enabling science activities to reach the all-important vaccine end goal. During his talk, Kent shared CEPI's work on Enable, the largest ever study to provide a true assessment of Lassa disease burden across West Africa. The research programme was recently expanded to include a more detailed exploration into the range of Lassa symptoms and co-morbidities, as well as an investigation on the impact of Lassa in children and infants. Kent was joined on stage by: 🔵 Swati Gupta (Vice president and head of EIDs and epidemiology, IAVI) 🔵 Melanie McCauley, Clinical Research Liaison for West Africa, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research 🔵 Christian Happi, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Redeemer's University 🔵 Christopher Cooper, Director Viral vaccines, IAVI DDL 🔵 Mark Kieh, Research Scientist, PREVAIL 🔵 Johan Vekemans, Senior Science and Clinical advisor, IAVI American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)

CEPI and PATH are partnering on a new project to ensure the availability of antibody reagents for the development of SARS-CoV-1 & SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Having access to standardised reagents enables an accurate assessment of a vaccine’s potency, helping to avoid inconsistent results and potential delays in vaccine approval. Establishing reagents for SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 will mean researchers and manufacturers have the tools they need to develop and release vaccines quickly in future responses, boosting overall preparedness against these coronaviruses. CEPI will provide up to US$1.46 million to PATH to fund the project. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eNtfM7wA

Global health leaders are gathering today for #COP29 Health Day—spotlighting the link between climate health and human health 🌍 The climate emergency affects human health in multiple ways, and this includes a rise in infectious diseases. Climate change is expanding the range of disease-carrying animals and insects, fuelling spillover events, and accelerating the spread of infectious diseases. Scientists estimate that over half of known human pathogenic diseases are aggravated by it 📈 This growing threat underscores the need for proactive measures. CEPI’s investments in the pandemic preparedness ecosystem not only builds resilience against future outbreaks but also helps to fortify health systems facing the challenges of a changing climate. The impact of climate change is especially felt in Global South countries, which often bear the brunt of climate change yet have limited resources to adapt. Addressing this imbalance requires a commitment to equity in R&D and medical countermeasures to ensure collective resilience. CEPI remains dedicated to advancing R&D for vaccines and biologics to enhance global epidemic and pandemic preparedness and to solutions that support access to these potentially lifesaving measures—helping to protect vulnerable communities worldwide as we tackle the intertwined challenges of climate change and health. Learn more about how climate change is impacting pandemic risk in the video below https://lnkd.in/eFHG7hiJ ⬇️ Or take an in-depth look at the topic in CEPI’s long read 📚➡️ https://lnkd.in/ef7Ee5DY

Last week, members of the CEPI team joined colleagues from the EU’s political, health and research institutions alongside Valneva in Brussels to discuss how we can better respond to future infectious disease outbreaks and promote an EU “preparedness union”. Our CEO Richard Hatchett emphasized in his opening speech how partnership was critical to building defences against the growing risk of epidemic and pandemic threats, in support of the #100DaysMission: “Public–private collaboration can yield health security benefits at local, regional, and global levels, while enabling equitable access to life-saving innovations." In recognition of the importance of partnership with the EU to respond to current disease emergencies, Dr Hatchett also shared news that CEPI and Global Health EDCTP3 will co-fund a new trial assessing an mpox vaccine in pregnant and breastfeeding women, and in infants under 2 years of age. The event took place at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU as part of the #ReFocusAustria initiative. The world’s first-approved Chikungunya vaccine, developed by Valneva with support from CEPI and the EU, was developed largely at its R&D hub in Austria. Event contributors included Eloise Todd (Pandemic Action Network), MEP Andreas Schieder, Laurent Muschel (Director General, HERA) Irene Norstedt (Director, DG RTD) and Franck Grimaud (Valneva), and Ambassador Franz Wirtenberger. EU Science, Research and Innovation | EU in Emergencies

This week, vaccine developers, scientists and government representatives from around the world were brought together in Seoul, Korea for the annual World Bio Summit, a conference organised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare Korea, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, to discuss global agendas to enhance the vaccine and bioscience sector 🇰🇷 🌏 At the event's closing ceremony, CEPI was delighted to announce a new partnership with RIGHT Foundation, Research Investment for Global Health Technology Foundation to accelerate our joint goal to harness the power of science and protect populations most in need from future disease outbreaks. Welcoming the signing of this new collaboration, our CEO Dr Richard Hatchett shared "Through sustained collaboration and research, together, we can take the threat of pandemics off the table once and for all." Our Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Networks, Matthew Downham, PhD, joined representatives on stage at the closing ceremony to mark the occasion.

📣 Tomorrow our Executive Director Vaccine R&D, Kent Kester, will join expert researchers and vaccine developers working at the forefront on Lassa fever at #TropMed24. As part of IAVI's Lassa Symposium, Kent will discuss CEPI's broad programme of research, preparedness and enabling science activities that will help lay the groundwork for the successful licensure of a future Lassa vaccine. This includes funding promising Lassa vaccine candidates, like IAVI's Lassa vaccine, currently in Phase 2 trials in Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia. He will also highlight the creation of Enable, the largest ever Lassa fever study seeking to provide a better assessment of the true disease burden across countries affected by the disease in West Africa. More about our work on Lassa: https://lnkd.in/eFG8aPB5

Following the launch of the #Research Preparedness Program West Africa (RPPWA), last week we joined Africa CDC, OOASWAHO || West African Health Organization and other regional stakeholders for a Research Preparedness Ecosystem Engagement Workshop in Accra, Ghana. Organised by International Vaccine Institute (IVI) with funding from CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations), the workshop was a preparatory convening on the implementation of the Advancing Research Capacity in #WestAfrica (ARC-WA) initiative.   It provided an opportunity to explore collaborative efforts to co-create an actionable roadmap for sustainable #CapacityDevelopment across West Africa.   More👉 https://lnkd.in/dDuDvaWb