On Monday 27 November in Capetown, South Africa at Afrigen, the 3rd Scientific Colloquium dived into the current thinking and how scientific innovation in the field of mRNA vaccines would lead to game changing access in the next few years on the African continent.
With the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme now advancing and on track to deliver, the session took a holistic look at the current mRNA vaccine landscape and how through the different initiatives the face and pace of mRNA vaccine delivery would impact equitable access in low- and middle-income countries.
A keynote address from Professor Sarah Gilbert (OBE) from the Nuffield Department of Medicines at Oxford University provided her vision on how vaccine innovation would transform equitable access. Further presentation from Moderna, BioNTech and Afrigen provided scientific insight on antigen design and the pipeline and access for Africa.
Click Here To Watch Event Video
Welcome Address
Keynote Address
Presentations
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Charles Gore, Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool
Closing remarks
Click Below to Access the Presentations:
Welcome Message Prof Drew Weissman, University of Pennsylvania
Assessing Impact of Access to mRNA Vaccines in LMICs Sarah Gilbert, University of Oxford
The Application of Moderna’s mRNA Platform for Public Health Andrea Carfi, Moderna
Development of mRNA-based medicines Robbert van der Most, BioNTech
The mRNA Innovation Strategy at Afrigen Amin Khan, Caryn Fenner and Petro Terblanche, Afrigen
Press and Media
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.