In November 2023 CEPI, IVI, and Gambia’s Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia (MRCG) announced the launch of the Research Preparedness Programme West Africa (RPPWA). IVI will co-lead the RPPWA as “Technical Coordinating Partner”. It will support a “consortium of regional stakeholders” to “bolster the capacity of clinical research sites” in the region to conduct large-scale clinical trials of vaccines against Lassa fever and future disease threats.
The RPPWA
CEPI states that it is supporting with US$3.9 million funding to “lay the groundwork” for the first high-quality, multi-country Phase IIb and Phase III trials to evaluate the efficacy of Lassa vaccines. These trials must take place in countries in West Africa where Lassa virus is in circulation. The programme will unite partners in the region to “strengthen existing clinical trial infrastructure” and establish “Good Clinical Practice-compliant” facilities to conduct the “crucial research” needed to advance a Lassa vaccine towards licensure.
“The RPPWA will also support long-term outbreak preparedness in the region by helping to prepare sustainable clinical trial facilities that can rapidly generate vaccine data against future viral threats, primarily through strengthening existing research capacity.”
As co-leads for the RPPWA, the IVI and MRCG will “closely engage stakeholders” to promote “cohesion with other regional funders and stakeholders” in the ecosystem, ensuring local ownership of the programme’s activities and investments. To begin with, the co-leads will initiate discussions with partners in West African countries to “jointly develop plans” to “strengthen sustainable clinical research capacity and long-term outbreak preparedness in the region”.
The RPPWA is established in response to CEPI’s Request for Proposals in May 2023, with the intention to expand the approach to other “underserved regions across the Global South” if it is successful.
Towards the 100 Days Mission
CEPI’s CEO, Dr Richard Hatchett, commented that the “strengthened research capacity and capability will heighten outbreak preparedness” in the area with the goal of producing “high-quality” data during outbreaks in “as little as 100 days”.
“CEPI, IVI, and MRC Gambia will work with partners across West Africa to bolster the region’s growing clinical research sector, so it is ready to tackle both known and future viral threats.”
Dr Florian Marks, Deputy Director General of Epidemiology, Public Health, Impact at IVI, looks forward to the “collaborative effort to build up clinical capacity and resilience” with a focus on Lassa fever and other priority diseases.
“IVI has been actively engaging with partners across West Africa for decades, jointly conducting multi-country disease surveillance and vaccine effectiveness studies.”
Dr Birkneh Tadesse, Head of Real-World Evidence at IVI, added that IVI’s activities in the region “will extend beyong supporting current and future Lassa fever vaccine studies” to encompass “systems- and infrastructure-strengthening” in study sites.
“With mechanisms in place to both standardise and accelerate the R&D ecosystem, this ‘Track B’ component of the programme will be essential for regional pandemic preparedness, in line with CEPI’s 100 Days Mission.”
Ambitious goals
Vaccines and Immunity Theme Lead at MRCG is Professor Ed Clarke, who is “thrilled” to be co-leading the “unique initiative”.
“Anyone with knowledge of the clinical research environment in the sub-region and how it has developed, even in the last decade, will recognise the wealth of talent, capacity, and potential which already exists.”
Professor Clark hopes that the “long-standing” experience will allow the collaboration to “further support the development of the vaccine-research ecosystem here”.
“The ambitious goals set for Lassa fever vaccine development, and for the delivery of vaccines for future disease outbreaks, require coordinated effort and we look forward to contributing to this exciting and forward-thinking consortium.”
Dr Armel Zemsi, Head of the clinical trials unit at MRCG, views the “exciting programme and dynamic parternship” as an “exceptional opportunity to fortify West Africa and empower the region” to “assume a pivotal and proactive role in preventing and responding to potential pandemics”.
“To achieve the goal of this project, together with IVI, we will leverage our extensive collective experience in developing clinical trials capabilities and achieving clinical trials readiness in resources-constrained settings.”
Ag Executive Director for ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control suggested that this kind of investment is “crucial for improving access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics” in Africa.
“By leveraging already existing clinical trial capabilities, the Programme will help to solidify the late-stage clinical infrastructure required to develop safe and effective vaccines and, in doing so, support West Africa to combat future infectious diseases outbreaks faster and more equitably.”
How do you think this collaboration might advance West Africa’s efforts to establish better pandemic preparedness in the region? We look forward to exploring the needs of West Africa in greater detail at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington next year. Do let us know if you intend to join us, and subscribe to our newsletter here!
