Leiden, the Netherlands, Nov 12, 2019 – We are proud to announce that we have partnered with IAVI under an award they have received from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop a VSV-based vaccine against Marburg virus. (Link to IAVI press release)
This is the second collaboration between Batavia and IAVI on VSV vaccine development, the first being a CEPI funded award to develop a VSV-based vaccine against Lassa virus.
In both programs, Batavia leverages its highly intensified manufacturing process (HIP-Vax) technology, combined with NevoLine™ manufacturing equipment (Univercells), to manufacture clinical product for human testing and to provide a low-cost manufacturing solution for these vaccines in the future.
The VSV-Marburg vaccine candidate rVSVΔG-MARV-GP has been licensed by IAVI from the Public Health Agency of Canada and demonstrated strong protection from the deadly disease in non-human primate studies.
Marburg virus is a public health threat that has a high case fatality rate, and it is a potential bioterrorism threat. The World Health Organization has identified Marburg virus disease, along with other viral hemorrhagic fevers, as a priority for research and development because of its epidemic potential and because there are insufficient countermeasures to prevent and treat it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has classified Marburg virus as a Category A bioterrorism threat – a high-priority agent that poses a risk to national security.
