WHO/MPP regional mRNA meeting in SEARO/WPRO

December 22, 2023

From https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2023/10/31/default-calendar/who-mpp-regional-mrna-meeting-in-searo-wpro

WHO/MPP mRNA Technology Transfer Programme
Regional meeting in South-East Asia

Background

Announced on 21 June 2021, WHO and the Medicines Patent Pool established a Technology Transfer Programme for mRNA vaccines in South Africa, in order to build manufacturing capacity in LMICs to produce mRNA vaccines, in an effort to improve health security in LMICs through local and/or regional production of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as a primary target. The center for mRNA technology development and transfer comprises Afrigen/Biovac/South African Medical Research Council, South Africa, and will share technology and technical know-how with a network of technology recipients in LMICs. The Programme currently receives funding from European Commission, Belgium, France, Germany, as well as Canada, Norway, the African Union, South Africa and the ELMA foundation.

The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme has four main objectives:

  1. Establish or enhance sustainable mRNA vaccine manufacturing capacity in regions with no or limited capacity;
  2. Introduce new technologies in LMICs and promote regional research and development (R&D);
  3. Strengthen regional biomanufacturing know-how and workforce development;
  4. Develop regulatory capabilities and workforce to support and accelerate regional approval and distribution of mRNA vaccines;

Objectives of the meeting:

  1. Promote R&D regional collaboration to advance mRNA product development around diseases of regional importance (e.g. dengue, malaria vivax, HPV, HFMD)
  2. Share information on new discoveries to help design second-generation mRNA products.
  3. Review intellectual property issues and regulatory aspects relevant to mRNA vaccines for diseases of regional importance.

Meeting materials

Meeting agenda
List of participants

Presentations

Day 1

mRNA innovations for sustainability: establishing an enabling environment – Petro Terblanche, Afrigen

Clinical trial design and policy expectations for novel dengue vaccines – Annelies Wilder-Smith

Designing a mRNA vaccine against dengue, key considerations – Eugenia Ong, Duke-NUS

Product development plan for a mRNA dengue vaccine – Mainul Ahasan, Incepta

Epidemiology of HFMD in South East Asia and key immunological considerations for vaccine development – Yoke-Fun Chan, Univ. Malaya 

Designing a mRNA vaccine against HFMD, key considerations – Justin Chu, National University of Singapore

Epidemiology of malaria vivax in South East Asia and key immunological considerations for vaccine development – Rintis Noviyanti, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology

The role of human infection challenge models to advance P. vivax vaccine development – James McCarthy – Wehi Institute

Lessons learned from P.berghei vaccine development: an mRNA vaccine adjuvanted with a NK-cell agonist against liver-stage malaria – Gavin Painter, Wellington Univ. of Victoria

Designing a mRNA vaccine against malaria vivax: key considerations – Herbert Opi, Burnet Institute

Product development plan for a mRNA P.vivax vaccine – Neni Nurainy, PT Bio FarmaShow less Show more

Day 2

R&D capacity in South-East Asia 

HPV mRNA therapeutic vaccine – Epidemiology and rationale for HPV therapeutic vaccine development – Kiat Ruxrungtham, Chula VRC

HPV mRNA vaccine design and preliminary insight – Eakachai Prompetchara & Supichcha Saithong, Chula VRC

BMGF strategy to advance mRNA vaccine R&D – Philippe-Alexandre Gilbert, BMGF

Development of novel lipids – Charles de Koning, Wits Univ.

Nucleotide-modification for mRNA vaccines, evidence from in vitro and animal models – Patrick Arbuthnot, Wits Univ.

Review of automated technologies for mRNA production – Martin Friede, WHO & Ike James, MPP

mRNA drugs production from very small to very largescale capacity: when to use batch versus continuous strategies – José Castillo, Université Libre de Bruxelles/Univercells