Developing-country vaccine manufacturers' technical capabilities can make a difference in global immunization

Contrasting academic approaches to COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution: What can the Oxford and Texas experiences teach us about pandemic response?

This article contrasts the different approaches to COVID-19 vaccine development adopted by Oxford University, on one hand, and Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine (collectively, Texas), on the other hand. Texas was praised widely in the press and academic literature for adopting an "open source" approach to vaccine development. Oxford, however, chose to license its vaccine technology to pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca and received significant public criticism as a result. Yet the Oxford vaccine reached far more individuals in developing countries than the Texas vaccine. We compare the two vaccines' experiences, drawing attention to a constellation of interrelated elements that contribute to a successful vaccine production program, including not only IP licensing, but also timing, technology transfer, and resource mobilization, all in the context of the prevailing funding environments. This comparative analysis sheds light on how the innovation ecosystem functioned during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing useful insights for policy makers and advocates as they prepare for future pandemics and other global health challenges.

Standardization and Key Aspects of the Development of Whole Yeast Cell Vaccines

In the context of vaccine development, improving antigenic presentation is critical for the activation of specific immune responses and the success of immunization, in addition to selecting an appropriate target. In this sense, different strategies have been developed and improved. Among them is the use of yeast cells as vehicles for the delivery of recombinant antigens. These vaccines, named whole yeast vaccines (WYVs), can induce humoral and cellular immune responses, with the additional advantage of dispensing with the use of adjuvants due to the immunostimulatory properties of their cell wall components. However, there are some gaps in the methodologies for obtaining and validating recombinant strains and vaccine formulations. The standardization of these parameters is an important factor for WYVs approval by regulatory agencies and, consequently, their licensing. This review aimed to provide an overview of the main parameters to consider when developing a yeast-based vaccine, addressing some available tools, and highlighting the main variables that can influence the vaccine production process.

Sustainable vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle-Income countries

The sustainable manufacturing of vaccines in developing countries is critical to increasing equitable access to vaccines and pandemic preparedness globally. Sustainable manufacturing requires that organizations engaged in the development, production and supply of vaccines have viable business models and incentives to manufacture vaccine products. The expanding manufacturing capabilities and capacities of developing countries vaccine manufacturers (DCVMs) are increasingly positioning these organizations to meet the national and regional public health needs in developing countries; however, key industry challenges such as regulatory barriers, low prices and demand uncertainty for vaccine products, and limited R&D funding threaten the long-term viability of vaccine manufacturers. This study assesses the technical capabilities, manufacturing capacities, and aspirational plans of DCVMs, exemplifying the business models and strategies undertaken to sustainably manufacture vaccines in developing countries. The public health importance of a healthy vaccine industry which enables manufacturers is discussed throughout. Vaccine manufacturers reported diverse product portfolios and R&D pipelines and utilized an array of vaccine technology platforms. Large manufacturing capacities were reported, a critical factor in manufacturers achieving economies of scale and supplying large volumes of vaccine doses to the world's most populous regions. Partnerships and collaboration within the industry and with international organizations along the vaccine value-chain were cited with high frequency. Manufacturers also reported aspirational plans to enter new markets, acquire new technologies and invest in the development of novel and improved vaccines. As DCVMs aim to have an increasing impact on the global vaccine ecosystem, a coordinated multi-stakeholder approach is required alleviate critical industry barriers to ensure that all efforts produce vaccines are sustainable and enable developing countries to realize the public health benefit of vaccines.