Gates Foundation awards $1.4M to help cholera fight

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded a $1.4 million grant to the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to ensure standards and reagents are available to low-cost oral cholera vaccine (OCV) manufacturers.

International standardization in the manufacturing and release of OCV will ultimately ensure there’s an adequate supply of low-cost vaccines where they are needed most. Currently, there are no international standards or reagents available to vaccine manufacturers to test the cholera vaccine antigens.

“Making available reference reagents will ensure uniform efficacy and allow multiple manufacturers to scale up production of low-cost cholera vaccine, which currently can’t fulfill global demand,” Dr. Ravi Ganapathy, head of Vaccine Process Development at IVI, said.

With this award, IVI, along with the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), will develop and manufacture WHO International Standards for 01 Inaba, 01 Ogawa, and 0139 V. cholerae LPS ELISA assay.

IVI developed and completed technology transfer for the world’s first low-cost WHO-prequalified OCV, currently stockpiled by the World Health Organization (WHO). Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a long-time supporter of the global stockpile, provides doses for use in cholera outbreaks and for preventive vaccination campaigns in high-risk communities.

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is devoted exclusively to discovery, development, and delivery of safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global public health.