HQ Team
July 29, 2024: Argentina’s Sinergium Biotech will share its technology and expertise to manufacture bird flu vaccine with partners in low and middle-income countries in case of a pandemic, bolstering preparedness efforts, according to the WHO.
Sinergium Biotech, a WHO partner in the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, has developed candidate H5N1 vaccines and aims to establish proof-of-concept in preclinical models, according to a statement from the global health agency.
The Argentinian company’s move is the first time a biopharmaceutical company with a vaccine in development has volunteered to share technology with others.
The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, jointly developed by the WHO and Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), was unveiled in July 2021 to build capacity in low- and middle-income countries for the development and production of messenger RNA-based vaccines.
‘Future pandemic preparedness’
Once the preclinical data package is concluded, the technology, materials, and expertise will be shared with other manufacturing partners, aiding the acceleration of the development of H5N1 vaccine candidates, the WHO stated.
“When we created the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme with WHO, our goal was to enable low- and middle-income countries to lead development efforts, foster collaboration, share resources, and disseminate knowledge,” said Charles Gore, Executive Director of MPP.
“This project embodies our vision and demonstrates a strong commitment to future pandemic preparedness and response.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said the initiative exemplified why WHO established the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme – to foster greater research, development and production in low- and middle-income countries.
So “when the next pandemic arrives, the world will be better prepared to mount a more effective and more equitable response,” he said.
Sharing data on influenza viruses
Avian influenza viruses are a significant public health risk due to their widespread circulation in animals and the potential to cause a future pandemic.
The Garín, Buenos Aires-based Sinergium’s technology transfer supplements ongoing work under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework to improve and strengthen the sharing of influenza viruses with human pandemic potential and increase low and middle-income countries’ access to vaccines.
Since its inception, the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme has developed and implemented a platform that was used to establish the immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate in preclinical animal models.
The MPP programme is based around a technology transfer “hub” Afrigen, which is located in South Africa. The programme will provide technology development, training and technology transfer.
Combat next pandemic
It currently has 15 partners across the world who are receiving training and technology from the hub and will then produce and sell products commercially.
Initially, the programme will focus on mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.
The programme is designed to encourage the development of other mRNA vaccines and therapeutics against important diseases that threaten low and middle-income countries, to ensure that the capacity built by the project is sustained and available to combat the next pandemic.
