We have become more aware than ever that effective vaccines deployed as quick as possible are vital in a post-pandemic world. Not only will it be critical to identify infectious threats and manufacture their immunisations, but also, access to these vaccines is crucial for a global response. The COVID-19 vaccination campaign highlighted significant global inequality in vaccine distribution, despite its success in Europe.
That’s why a key goal for the next pandemic and the subsequent manufacture of vaccines is to reduce their cost to under a dollar a dose. Pim Velthof, is a Bioprocess Scientist at Batavia Bioscience, he has over 15 years of experience in vaccines and bioprocessing, including expertise in specialty cell production assays and GMP product delivery. In this presentation, Velthof introduced HIP-Vax: a platform for rapid response, low cost vaccine manufacturing for emerging infectious diseases.
While mRNA vaccines have proven effective for COVID-19, they may not be the solution for all emerging diseases, necessitating the development of other types of vaccines. Batavia Bioscience aims to bridge the gap between early discovery and late-stage commercial manufacturing, focusing on affordable, low-cost vaccine production.
The HIP-Vax platform, using fixed bed bioreactors, is designed to shorten the time to clinic and reduce production costs, making it feasible to produce vaccines at a cost below $1.00. The platform’s fixed bed technology involves a compact process where cells adhere to fibres within a bed, allowing for high-density cell growth and efficient nutrient distribution.
Velthof provided two case studies in this presentation: one involving VSV virus candidates for IAVI and another combining COVID-19 spike protein with yellow fever virus, demonstrating the platform's effectiveness and scalability. Batavia Bioscience is expanding its research and manufacturing facilities, continuing to develop robust and scalable vaccine production processes that lower costs and improve accessibility.
