US-based National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has partnered with Afrigen Biologics to share technical expertise related to the manufacturing of next-generation messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines and therapeutics.

Afrigen is part of the mRNA technology transfer hub programme that was established by the Covax Vaccine Manufacturing Taskforce with the World Health Organization and the medicines patent pool as the programme’s co-leader.

The programme is a global initiative that is aimed at improving health and health security by establishing sustainable, locally owned mRNA manufacturing capabilities in and for low- and middle-income countries.

The programme is based on a technology transfer “hub” – Afrigen – located in Cape Town, which serves to develop technology, present training and undertake technology transfer.

In turn, NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center conducts basic, translational and clinical research to design and develop prototype vaccines and biologics to protect against infectious diseases.

The mRNA vaccine platform has been used successfully in safe and effective manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccines. This has opened the door for expanding use of this platform to address other infectious diseases and cancer.

NIAID is working to develop mRNA vaccine candidates and antibody products against viral targets with pandemic potential.

The agreement between Afrigen and NIAID will enable the sharing of technical skills and materials to expedite Afrigen’s goal of mRNA vaccine production and help NIAID establish processes to make investigational mRNA vaccine products at its production and manufacturing facilities for early-stage clinical trials.

The parties may also jointly conduct research on next-generation mRNA-based vaccines for diseases including human immunodeficiency virus, tuberculosis, malaria, influenza and cancer-associated viruses.

“The pursuit of effective vaccines for human diseases to improve public health is central to the mission of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center,” says the centre's acting director Richard Koup.

“This collaboration allows us to exchange scientific expertise to further this mission and support Afrigen’s globally important research and vaccine discovery efforts.”

Afrigen MD Professor Petro Terblanche comments that, through this collaboration, the mRNA Hub at Afrigen can fast-track the end-to-end good manufacturing practices of the first clinical trial material of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

“The VRC’s technical expertise in plasmid DNA manufacturing promises to be an invaluable contribution to building capacity and capabilities for mRNA vaccine production at Afrigen,” he notes.