In August 2024 the Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI) announced an expanded partnership with Afrigen Biologics to develop effective vaccines using AAHI’s innovative adjuvant formulations in sub-Saharan Africa. This develops a longstanding joint commitment that was initially focused on advancing a tuberculosis vaccine candidate that combines AAHI’s recombinant ID93 protein and GLA-SE adjuvant formulation. The expansion seeks to advance life-saving vaccines in Africa to provide “affordable and easily accessible protection from disease”. The collaboration will address multiple infectious diseases of special concern in sub-Saharan Africa, using AAHI’s adjuvant and formulations expertise to develop cost-effective vaccines that provide broad and long-lasting protection and can be easily manufactured, distributed, and administered.
Aligned efforts
AAHI states that Afrigen’s “continued efforts to build vaccine development capacity in Africa” are “directly aligned with AAHI’s efforts to provide vaccine platforms that enable globally distributed manufacturing for local self-reliance”. This enables “sustainable protection against disease”.
Professor Petro Terblanche, Afrigen’s Chief Executive Officer, highlights that the partnership “further enhances Afrigen’s adjuvant formulation capacity and capabilities”. Professor Terblanche reflects that Afrigen created the first adjuvant formulation laboratory on the continent in 2018 with a technology transfer from AAHI. Through local and international collaborations, Afrigen developed a “library” of next generation formulated adjuvants for vaccine development focusing on HIV, TB, and zoonotic diseases that are “aligned with One Health priorities”.
“This expanded partnership will allow Afrigen to support the development adjuvanted vaccines relevant to the burden of disease in African and to contribute to pandemic response and preparedness.”
Dr Corey Casper, President and Chief Executive Officer at AAHI, comments that “more than half of all deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are attributed to infections”.
“Vaccines provide one of the most effective and cost-efficient means of reducing this disease burden, which encompasses both communicable disease and non-communicable diseases like cancer and heart disease.”
Dr Casper is “committed” to making AAHI’s vaccine technologies “easily accessible and affordable to people around the globe”. An “important way” of doing this is partnering with local vaccine manufacturers.
“Afrigen is a longstanding and trusted partner that is especially well-poised to make this vision a reality.”
VaccineNation was lucky to speak to Afrigen’s Professor Terblanche at the Congress in Washington in 2023 and AAHI’s Candice Decaire in Washington in 2024 to hear more about the work that their organisations are doing in the vaccine space. We look forward to welcoming Professor Terblanche back to the European Congress this October, so do get your tickets to hear more there. We will also welcome Professor Terblanche and senior representatives from AAHI to the Washington Congress in April; get your tickets to join us there and don’t forget to subscribe for more vaccine updates.
