September 29, 2011

EU invests €30 million to boost vaccine research

Vienna (Austria) 29 September 2011, Intercell AG is pleased to announce that on 1 October 2011 the collaborative research program – Advanced Immunization Technologies (ADITEC) – will start in order to accelerate the development of novel and powerful immunization technologies for the next generation of human vaccines.  ADITEC is co-funded with €30 million by the European Commission to establish a robust platform for innovation in this key strategic area with a high socio-economic impact. Scientists from 42 research partners in 13 countries will collaborate in this new program.

“We are at a unique point in vaccine history,” says Rino Rappuoli, coordinator of ADITEC and president of the Sclavo Vaccines Association (SVA) which is based in Siena /Italy . “Progress in science and technology makes it possible to achieve what was previously deemed impossible. New technologies are opening the door to fight those diseases for which new vaccines could not be developed so far. However, a single laboratory cannot tackle modern vaccine science in isolation. Therefore we have set up this project consortium with scientists from 42 research bodies to collaboratively produce the knowledge necessary for the development of novel and powerful immunization technologies for the next generation of human vaccines.”

ADITEC comprises a team of competitive European universities and research institutions next to top US groups on systems biology and adjuvants. The project is reinforced by a number of key European industries, both big pharmaceutical and smaller biotechnology companies -these corporations are focusing on specific innovative technologies that now allow making better and safer vaccines-. In addition, the World Health Organization is supporting the project as a senior partner, ensuring that cross-cutting global health aspects are duly considered.

This research program covers a wide range of crucial aspects of vaccination; from basic research or new technologies to clinical trials and public health. The high impact project will therefore lead to: improved potency and safety of vaccines and their components, novel routes and devices of administration, optimized vaccination strategies, optimized formulations and vaccination methods for different age groups, better insight in the effects of gender, chronic diseases and genetic variation on vaccination and widespread knowledge about the available new technologies.

Start date: 01/10/2011

End date: 30/09/2016

Project cost: €41 million

EU contribution: €30 million

info@associazionesclavo.org, Tel: + 39-0577-233307

Sclavo Vaccines Association, Italy

Statens Serum Institut, Denmark

St George University of London, United Kingdom

Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Germany

University of Siena, Italy

Institute Pasteur, France

University of Oxford, United Kingdom

University of Geneva, Switzerland

Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics s.r.l., Italy

Intercell AG, Austria

University of Goteborg, Sweden

Leiden University and Medical Centre, The Netherlands

Emory University Atlanta, USA

Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, The Netherlands

Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, Austria

Infectious Disease Research Institute Seattle, USA

Utrecht University, The Netherlands

Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca, Italy

Fondazione per l’Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina, Switzerland

Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy

Kings College London, United Kingdom

World Health Organization, Switzerland

French Atomic Energy, France

Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, France

Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands

ALTA s.r.l.u, Italy

Medicine in need, France

deCODE Genetics, Iceland

Okairos, Italy

Sigmoid Pharma, Ireland

Vaccibody, Norway

Pevion Biotech, Switzerland

Duotol AB, Sweden

Crossbeta Biosciences, The Netherlands

Microbiotecsrl, Italy

ArenaVax, Switzerland

Xbrane Bioscience AB, Sweden

Bioneedle Group, The Netherlands

Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health s.r.l, Italy

National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, United Kingdom

Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, USA

Imperial College London, UK