PATH and China National Biotec Group (CNBG), described as the leading vaccine manufacturer in China, announced a partnership “to speed the development of an effective vaccine at an affordable price to prevent pneumococcal disease.” The partnership involves a three-year project which will be implemented by Chengdu Institute of Biological Products (CDIBP), a subsidiary of CNBG based in Chengdu, Sichuan, with technical and financial support from PATH. The partners noted that current pneumococcal conjugate vaccines approved for use in children “are effective against strains common in the industrialized world and some developing countries, but they do not cover all pneumococcal serotypes, including several strains common in Africa and Asia. They are also expensive, which makes access to vaccines difficult in low-income countries that most urgently need them. More affordable vaccines with broader coverage are needed to ensure global access to vaccines, especially in developing countries.”

PATH’s pneumococcal vaccine development portfolio “includes a number of approaches to improve vaccine affordability and accessibility in the countries that most urgently need them. In addition to supporting the development of novel vaccines, one of PATH’s key strategies is to accelerate the advancement of low-cost vaccines by improving upon already-established technologies.” Dr. Mark Alderson, director of PATH’s Pneumococcal Vaccine Project, commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with CNBG/CDIBP in our efforts to develop a multivalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that can meet the needs of the poorest of the poor. Together, we hope to reduce manufacturing costs by pursuing a candidate that combines proven conjugation methods with new technologies developed by CNBG/CDIBP and other PATH partners. Furthermore, the regional and technical expertise of CNBG/CDIBP, which has successfully marketed a 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine in China, can be leveraged throughout this collaboration as we target strains more common in Asia and Africa.”

As part of a global access commitment, PATH and CNBG/CDIBP said they will design their pneumococcal vaccine candidate to meet the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) requirements, a financing mechanism established by the GAVI Alliance and the World Health Organization. PATH and CNBG/CDIBP said they “acknowledge that challenges lie ahead, particularly related to the complex process of conjugate vaccine development, but potential payoffs could be considerable. A successful outcome could provide broad protection and lead to low-cost mass production capabilities that could substantially increase global access to vaccines and save lives in millions from pneumococcal disease in countries where need is greatest.”

22 June 2009: http://www.path.org/news/pr090622-cdibp.php