EU invests €30 million to boost vaccine research
This is very important for the development of new vaccines against tuberculosis
On 1 October 2011 the collaborative research programme – Advanced Immunization Technologies (ADITEC) - will start in order to accelerate the development of novel and powerful immunization technologies for the next generation of human vaccines. ADITEC is co-funded with €30M by the European Commission to establish a robust platform for innovation in this key strategic area with a high socio-economic impact. Scientists from 42 research partners in 13 countries will collaborate in this new programme.
Progress in science and technology makes it possible to achieve what was previously deemed impossible. New technologies are opening the door to fight those diseases for which new vaccines could not be developed so far. However, a single laboratory cannot tackle modern vaccine science in isolation. Therefore this project consortium was set up with scientists from 42 research bodies to collaboratively produce the knowledge necessary for the development of novel and powerful immunization technologies for the next generation of human vaccines.
“This is very important for the development of new vaccines against tuberculosis,” says Jelle Thole, director of TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) and one of the architects of this extensive international research programme. “New vaccines are urgently needed, because the only currently available vaccine is 90 years old and does not protect against pulmonary TB. Among other reasons, that’s why every year almost 2 million people die of TB. The development of new TB vaccines has gotten back on track in the past 10 years, but is still very complex. The new techniques that will be developed in this research programme, will absolutely accelerate this process.”
Renowned universities from Europe and the US
ADITEC comprises a team of competitive European universities
and research institutions next to top US groups on systems
biology and adjuvants. The project is reinforced by a number
of key European industries, both big pharmaceutical and
smaller biotechnology companies -these corporations are
focusing on specific innovative technologies that now allow
making better and safer vaccines-. In addition, the World
Health Organization is supporting the project as a senior
partner, ensuring that cross-cutting global health aspects are
duly considered.
From basic research to public health
This research programme covers a wide range of crucial
aspects of vaccination; from basic research or new
technologies to clinical trials and public health. The high
impact project will therefore lead to: improved potency and
safety of vaccines and their components, novel routes and
devices of administration, optimized vaccination strategies,
optimized formulations and vaccination methods for different
age groups, better insight in the effects of gender, chronic
diseases and genetic variation on vaccination and widespread
knowledge about the available new technologies.
Details of ADITEC project
Start date: 01/10/2011
End date: 30/09/2016
Project
cost: €41 million
EU contribution: €30 million
Coordinator:
Rino Rappuoli & Donata Medaglini,
Sclavo Vaccines Association (SVA), Siena (Italy), email:
info(at)associazionesclavo.org, Tel: + 39-0577-233307
Participants
Tuberculosis Vaccine
Initiative, The Netherlands
Sclavo Vaccines Association,
Italy
Statens Serum Institut, Denmark
St George
University of London, United Kingdom
Max Planck Institute
for Infection Biology, Germany
University of Siena,
Italy
Institute Pasteur, France
University of Oxford,
United Kingdom
University of Geneva, Switzerland
Novartis
Vaccines and Diagnostics s.r.l., Italy
Intercell,
Austria
University of Gothenborg, Sweden
Leiden
University and Medical Centre, The Netherlands
Emory
University Atlanta, USA
Institute for Biomedical Aging
Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
Infectious
Disease Research Institute Seattle, USA
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca, Italy
Fondazione per l’Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina,
Switzerland
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy
Kings College London, United Kingdom
World Health Organization, Switzerland
French Atomic
Energy, France
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, representing
the laboratory "Dysfonctionnements de l'homéostasie
tissulaire et ingénierie thérapeutique,
France
Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands
ALTA s.r.l.u,
Italy
Medicine in need, France
deCODE Genetics,
Iceland
Okairos, Italy
Sigmoid Pharma, Ireland
Vaccibody,
Norway
Pevion Biotech, Switzerland
Duotol AB, Sweden
Crossbeta
Biosciences, The Netherlands
Microbiotecsrl, Italy
ArenaVax, Switzerland
Xbrane Bioscience AB, Sweden
Bioneedle Group, The Netherlands
Novartis Vaccines
Institute for Global Health s.r.l, Italy
National Institute
for Biological Standards and Control, United Kingdom
Seattle
Biomedical Research Institute, USA
Imperial College
London, UK
TBVI
