“With no vaccines or specific therapeutics approved for human use against Nipah, CEPI is leading the charge to protect the world against this deadly virus committing over US$100 million to its Nipah programmes and advancing the first ever Nipah vaccine candidates into Phase 1 studies and through to completion”, said Dr Kent Kester, Executive Director of Vaccine Research and Development at CEPI. “Gennova’s work will not only help establish the suitability of the saRNA platform for use against Nipah but also its suitability as part of a wider group of RNA technologies that could enable rapid responses to future Disease X threats, potentially within 100 days of identification.”
mRNA vaccines use the body's own machinery to make antigenic protein rather than injecting the antigen directly into the body. saRNA vaccines work by giving the body instructions to replicate mRNA needed to create the desired antigen, potentially enhancing the immune response with lower doses compared to existing mRNA vaccines.
In August 2023, CEPI initially provided up to $3.6 million to support the optimisation of Gennova’s saRNA-platform technology to develop vaccine candidates against unknown pathogenic threats, also referred to as Disease X. The initial tranche of funding was part of CEPI's programme to support novel RNA vaccine platform technologies for emerging and select endemic infectious diseases, which could offer substantial advantages over existing mRNA technologies, such as multivalency, improved immunogenicity, storage and stability, productivity, response time, and cost-of-goods.
Dr. Sanjay Singh, CEO of Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Limited, shared optimism about the collaboration with CEPI and HMRI, viewing it as a significant advancement in the fight against the Nipah virus. “By harnessing the cutting-edge capabilities of our saRNA platform, we are committed to developing a revolutionary next-generation vaccine. This partnership not only sets a new standard for the rapid development of mRNA vaccines but also ensures equitable access and strengthens global health security”, said Singh.
CEPI is committed to enabling equitable access to the vaccines, products and innovations it supports. Through its agreement to enter into partnership with CEPI, Gennova has demonstrated its shared commitment to ensuring equitable access to its technology in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy, notably committing to vaccines being available first to populations at risk when and where they are needed at an affordable price. This also includes the potential application of its technology to future vaccine development of interest to CEPI, including a commitment to technology transfer.