Serum Institute to receive up to $30 mn from global network to make pandemic vaccines

Serum Institute of India is set to receive up to $30 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, to expand its vaccine production capability, specifically targeting infections that hold potential to trigger an epidemic or pandemic.

“This would then enable CEPI-backed vaccine developers to quickly transfer their technology to SII within days or weeks of an outbreak to begin rapid production and equitable distribution of affordable vaccines to affected populations,” SII said in a statement on Tuesday.

The purpose of the collaboration is to shorten the time taken to manufacture and validate the first batches of experimental vaccines in response to an escalating outbreak within 100 days. 

The CEPI network focuses on vaccine makers in areas that are at high risk of outbreaks caused by deadly viral threats such as Lassa Fever, Nipah, Disease X, and other pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential. 

With CEPI’s funding, SII said it will also be able to support the development, stockpiling and licensure of new vaccines. CEPI and SII are exploring which CEPI-backed vaccines SII will support.

“As part of CEPI’s global manufacturing network, SII’s world-renowned manufacturing and rapid response capabilities are poised to play a critical role in enabling swift and equitable access to affordable outbreak vaccines for the Global South,” CEPI’s chief executive Dr. Richard Hatchett said in the statement.

“This collaboration will enable us to respond more rapidly and equitably to public health disease outbreaks, particularly in Global South countries where access to life-saving vaccines can be limited,” said SII chief executive Adar Poonawalla.

SII is now the fourth member of CEPI’s global manufacturing network. Other members include Aspen in South Africa, Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal, and Bio Farma in Indonesia.