20 January 2025, DAVOS, SWITZERLAND—The South African biotechnology company Afrigen Biologics is pursuing pioneering new research which aims to develop the first-ever mRNA-based vaccine against Rift Valley fever, a mosquito-borne disease affecting countries across Africa and the Middle East.
20 January 2025, DAVOS, SWITZERLAND—The South African biotechnology company Afrigen Biologics is pursuing pioneering new research which aims to develop the first-ever mRNA-based vaccine against Rift Valley fever, a mosquito-borne disease affecting countries across Africa and the Middle East.
Supported by a new $6.2 million/ 116 million South African Rand grant from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the researchers will work with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to progress the new vaccine candidate through preclinical development and into Phase I clinical testing in people in either South Africa or another outbreak-affected country on the continent. If successful, it could offer a critical new and locally produced tool to help combat this potentially deadly illness which poses significant risks to human health as well as livestock.
Prof Petro Terblanche, Chief Executive Officer of Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, said: “The CEPI support to Afrigen provides us with another opportunity to utilize our mRNA technology platform to develop a vaccine for a disease of importance to the African continent and the broader region. The partnership with IVI strengthens and complements the technological innovation required to develop a safe and effective vaccine against a 95-year-old disease.”
South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Mr Parks Tau, said: “South Africa is committed to innovation and the development of novel vaccines that counter the negative impacts on human health and economic development. The collaboration between CEPI and South Africa’s flagship Biotechnology research, development and manufacturing company Afrigen is valued and central to our commitment to develop and sustain local manufacturing capacity and capabilities on the African continent.”
Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa’s Minister of Health, stated: “This project and partnership between South Africa’s Afrigen, CEPI and IVI demonstrates again the country’s commitment to building capabilities and capacity for pandemic response and preparedness. Health system’s resiliance and health security are a national priority.”
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: “As the world learned during COVID-19, speed, innovation and access are the pivotal forces that will make or break the spread of an epidemic or pandemic threat. A safe and effective Rift Valley fever mRNA vaccine made in Africa, for Africa, raises the bar in our response to future Rift Valley fever outbreaks, and paves the way to make rapid response mRNA vaccines against similar viruses that could emerge on the continent or in other low- and middle-income countries. This new research will further strengthen the continent’s future preparedness and response capabilities thereby enhancing Africa’s vaccine sovereignty and health security.”
First identified in Kenya’s Rift Valley in the 1930s, Rift Valley fever usually occurs in people, such as pastoral farmers, following direct contact with infected animals, like sheep, goats and cattle, or bites from infected mosquitoes. While the majority of people infected experience mild disease, around 1-2% of those infected can develop the severe haemorrhagic form, which can cause blindness, convulsions, encephalitis and bleeding, and has mortality rates of around 50%.
As a mosquito-borne, and therefore climate-sensitive disease, there is a risk of Rift Valley fever outbreaks spreading to new areas or increasing in frequency or size as a result of extreme or unusual weather events. The disease has also been expanding in range in recent years with outbreaks in the Middle East and Indian ocean islands, hence the need for new Rift Valley fever vaccines.
Although vaccines against Rift Valley fever have been registered for animals, no vaccines are currently available or licensed for human use. It is therefore recognised as a priority target disease in need of urgent R&D by both the World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new Afrigen vaccine candidate could help combat this threat through leveraging the cutting-edge mRNA technology developed by the company in its role as the Hub for the WHO and MPP mRNA Technology Transfer Programme which aims to build mRNA vaccine development and production capacity in low- and middle-income countries and closer to where outbreaks happen. The early discovery work by Afrigen on this vaccine candidate was funded by the ELMA Foundation.
David Jarvis, Interim CEO of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which holds 49% equity in Afrigen Biologics, commended CEPI for its support: “Growth in Afrigen’s research capabilities will have a positive effect on the company’s trajectory which will facilitate the creation of job opportunities at Afrigen while delivering positive social impact through improving access to life saving vaccines. This aligns strongly to our mandate of enhancing industrial growth and job creation and delivering positive social impact.”
Dr Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), said: “IVI is committed to working with partners to develop a sustainable end-to-end vaccine ecosystem in Africa that supports novel vaccine discovery, clinical trials, manufacturing, delivery, and access. Through the support and partnership of CEPI and Afrigen, we will accelerate a new Rift Valley fever vaccine candidate through preclinical development and into a Phase I clinical trial in humans. Together, we aim to develop and locally produce a safe, effective, and accessible Rift Valley fever vaccine in Africa to protect the most affected regions and people from this deadly, though preventable, disease.”
This is the fourth investment CEPI has made in Rift Valley fever vaccine candidates and the first CEPI-supported Rift Valley fever vaccine candidate using mRNA technology.
In line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy, Afrigen is committed to the potential development of investigational stockpiles for use in outbreak situations, an affordable pricing mechanism for the vaccine, and endeavouring to manufacture the vaccine close to where outbreaks may occur to geodiversify regional manufacturing capabilities and minimise supply risks.
In addition, the clinical trial and epidemiological data generated by this project will be published open access to benefit the broader public health and research communities.
Tools and findings advanced through this project also have the potential to support the development of mRNA vaccines against other viruses related to Rift Valley fever.
Afrigen first partnered with CEPI in August 2024 to advance research into Afrigen’s mRNA vaccine technology, in a separate project which could shorten the speed in which mRNA vaccines enter clinical testing and production.
Faster and more readily available mRNA vaccines on the African continent would support progress towards the 100 Days Mission, a goal, spearheaded by CEPI and embraced by South Africa and other G20 as well as G7 nations, to develop vaccines against a novel threat within 100 days from identification.
ENDS
About Rift Valley fever
Rift Valley fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness of humans and livestock that was first discovered in Kenya’s Rift Valley in the 1930’s, but in recent decades has been detected in many African countries and parts of the Middle East, putting more people in more countries at risk of infection.
Because of its impact on both people and animals, Rift Valley fever has profound direct and indirect human health impacts – affecting both lives and livelihoods directly. A ‘One Health’ approach to disease control will work for Rift Valley fever. While vaccines are available for veterinary use, no vaccines are currently available for human use.
Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever have been consistently linked with intense periods of rainfall and flooding including those caused by the El Niño phenomenon which has recently returned after a seven year absence. Heavy rains provide ideal conditions for Rift Valley fever-infected mosquitoes to breed and hatch. As climate change persists, expanding the range of mosquitoes and increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events such as flooding, there is a risk that Rift Valley fever outbreaks will become more frequent and widespread making the development of a protective human vaccine all the more urgent.
CEPI first invested in the development of Rift Valley fever vaccines, with funding support from the European Union Horizon programmes, in 2019. With the addition of Afrigen, CEPI is now supporting four diverse Rift Valley fever vaccine candidate technologies.
About Afrigen
Afrigen Biologics, is a Biotech Start-up company based in Cape Town South Africa, and is a leading innovator in the field of medical biotechnology on the Continent, dedicated to advancing healthcare through cutting-edge research and development. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, Afrigen strives to deliver transformative therapies that make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.
Having successfully established the WHO/MPP mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer hub in South Africa, Afrigen is well on its way to locally develop and manufacture mRNA vaccines focusing on disease burden in Africa and other low-middle-income countries. Furthermore, Afrigen through international partnerships and local capacity building has established the first-ever vaccine adjuvant production and formulation technology center on the African continent focusing on next-generation vaccine adjuvants, which are not only geared at preventing disease, but have therapeutic value. One of the founding members of Afrigen was the South African government’s Industrial Development Corporation which holds 49.3% equity in Afrigen while Avacare Health holds 50.7%.
For more information on Afrigen, please visit https://www.afrigen.co.za/.
For more information on Industrial Development Corporation, please visit https://www.idc.co.za/
About CEPI
CEPI was launched in 2017 as an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.
Press Contact Details
CEPI
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 7387 055214
Afrigen
Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
Phone: +2721 2070101
Industrial Development Corporation
Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
Phone: +2711 2693000
27 Aug 2024; OSLO, Norway; CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Scientists in South Africa will investigate whether synthetic DNA could act as an alternative to traditional plasmid DNA required for mRNA vaccines—potentially making the initial phase of the vaccine development process up to three times faster.
03 JUL 2024 | CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
_______________
Technology transfer will strengthen South Africa’s pharmaceutical sovereignty and drastically reduce production costs, thus improving affordability and accessibility of key medicines in oncology and life-threatening autoimmune diseases
Liège (Belgium) and Cape Town (South Africa), June 4, 2024 – Bio-Sourcing, a Belgian biotech, and Afrigen Biologics, a South African biotech, today announce the signing of a partnership agreement to develop a pilot program in South Africa of a groundbreaking biotherapeutic platform, BioMilkTM. This cutting-edge platform, developed by Bio-Sourcing, is poised to redefine the landscape of healthcare solutions. BioMilk represents a significant leap forward in the development of novel therapies, aiming to address global unmet medical needs and radically improve access to biotherapeutics, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and insulin products, in South Africa.
The partners intend to create a new joint entity in South Africa to host the operations. Several public funding bodies have already expressed interest and the venture is open to additional investors.
Afrigen, which has previously pioneered the establishment of a state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine technology platform in Cape Town, and Bio-Sourcing, inventor of the technology underpinning BioMilk, believe that the platform will enable the end-to-end, manufacturing of the latest biologic medicines in South Africa, including drug substance.
Currently, biotherapeutic medicines such as mAbs are fully imported into South Africa at exorbitant prices, resulting in them being unavailable to the largest patient populations. This innovative technology aims to not only strengthen South Africa’s pharmaceutical sovereignty, but will also drastically reduce production costs, thus improving the affordability and accessibility of the essential medicines in the fields of oncology and life-threatening autoimmune diseases.
“We are thrilled to be a partner in this innovative biotherapeutic platform. It further enhances Afrigen’s commitment to improving access and affordability of the latest treatments not only for South Africans, but also other people in Africa,” said Prof Petro Terblanche, CEO of Afrigen. “With this pilot phase, we aim to demonstrate successful technology transfer to South Africa and develop a commercial scale-up plan for producing biotherapeutics at a significantly lower cost. The BioMilk platform ideally complements the state-of-the art mRNA technology platform at Afrigen. We expect to usher in a new era of products innovation, where the latest therapies are affordable, to offer hope and healing to patients confronting complex medical challenges.”
“Bio-Sourcing’s collaboration with Afrigen, a well-known and established player in the biopharmaceutical sector, represents an important step in the deployment of Bio-Sourcing in health care. I am particularly keen to bring BioMilk technology to Africa, where its benefits in terms of investment costs, production costs and sustainability are more critical than anywhere else. I look forward to the future installation of our first bulk plant and to providing the people of South Africa and other African countries with access to the medicines they need,” said Bertrand Mérot, CEO of Bio-Sourcing.
About Afrigen Biologics
Afrigen Biologics is a leading innovator in the field of medical biotechnology, dedicated to advancing healthcare through cutting-edge research and development. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, we strive to deliver transformative therapies that make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.
Having successfully established the WHO Global mRNA Vaccine Development and Technology Transfer hub in South Africa, Afrigen is well on its way to locally developing and manufacturing mRNA vaccines focusing on disease burden in Africa and other low-middle-income countries. Furthermore, Afrigen, through international partnerships and local capacity building, has established the first-ever vaccine adjuvant production and formulation technology center on the African continent focusing on next-generation vaccine adjuvants, which are not only geared at preventing disease, but have therapeutic value.
About Bio-Sourcing
Bio-Sourcing is a biotechnology company that has developed a unique, sustainable and profitable platform for the production of a new generation of biotherapeutics, in particular monoclonal antibodies. Its technology platform is based on the production of biotherapeutics in goat’s milk using genome editing and nuclear transfer technologies.
Bio-Sourcing harnesses the latest advances in biotechnology and is committed to pioneering research. Bio-Sourcing’s BioMilkTM platform leverages the power of molecular biology and natural bioreactors to unlock new possibilities in biotherapeutic development and production.
For more information about Bio-Sourcing and its groundbreaking BioMilkTM biotherapeutic platform, please visit www.bio-sourcing.com or email [email protected]
The board appointment is an important milestone in Afrigen’s growth trajectory, signaling the company’s evolution from a Cape Town-based startup to a key player in the health technology space, supported by a board chair of international repute.
Founded in 2014, Afrigen is a Cape Town-based biotechnology company initially focused on vaccine, adjuvants and nano-formulation product development and recently established the WHO global mRNA vaccine technology development and transfer Hub to build capacity and capabilities in LMICs to manufacturing mRNA vaccines. Afrigen is strategically directed, supported, and capitalized by Avacare Healthcare Group and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa.
Selamoglu brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and industry expertise to the role. Highly regarded in the pharmaceutical field, he has held executive roles and board positions at, among others, GlaxoSmithKline, Frontier Pharma and Mustafa Nevzat / Amgen.
“The appointment of Levent Selamoglu to chairperson of the board is an important next step in Afrigen’s journey to becoming a vaccine and biologics product innovation brand with global reach and exposure. Not only does he bring a wealth of experience in biologics to the position, but also a calm and measured approach to innovation. His extensive experience in the functions of a vertically integrated biotechnology company will no doubt stand Afrigen in good stead as we step forward into the next growth phase,” says Professor Petro Terblanche, Managing Director at Afrigen.
Equally significant is the fact that Selamoglu understands the startup environment and the challenges that need to be managed in building Afrigen into a name on the cutting edge of biologics and product manufacturing – both on the African continent and beyond.
“Afrigen is ideally positioned – and, in fact, well on the way – to become an important international player in the biologics space and I’m delighted to be a part of that in my role as chairperson of the board. We have a mandate to deliver on a promise to address the unmet healthcare needs of low- and middle-income countries by building a vertically integrated sector that is self-sufficient and globally competitive, and I’m energized by the challenge,” Selamoglu shares.
Afrigen is committed to local capacity building through international partnerships to meet the essential healthcare needs of emerging economies.
Media contacts
Afrigen: Petro Terblanche – [email protected]
Irvine Partners: Delia de Villiers – [email protected]
IDC: Tshepo Ramodibe – [email protected]
Avacare Health: Natalie Mutseyekwa – [email protected]
Webinar, Thursday 02 February 2023
13:00-15:00 GMT (UK) / 14:00-16:00 CET (Geneva) /
15:00-17:00 SAST (South Africa)
Register Here:
https://lnkd.in/dezGu9_8
Nivelles – May 3, 2023
Quantoom Biosciences S.A. (“Quantoom”), a Univercells company, is proud to announce the successful shipment from Belgium and installation of the first Ntensify™ midi system for mRNA manufacturing at Afrigen Biologics in Cape Town, South Africa. This marks a significant milestone on Quantoom’s journey to radically change the way mRNA is manufactured.
Part of the WHO initiative to launch the first African-owned mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
Within the framework of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme driven by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Quantoom has been chosen by Afrigen as the technology partner for the second-generation process and equipment. This collaboration will facilitate the development of the first African-owned mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, serving as the base for an mRNA vaccine platform that will provide equitable access to vaccines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
During the first in-person meeting of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme taking place in Cape Town, over 200 participants from all around the globe, had the opportunity to visit Afrigen’s facility and were introduced to the Ntensify midi system.
This occasion also marked an important milestone for Afrigen as it was the inauguration of the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub facility in the presence of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, and Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, as well as Charles Gore Executive Director of MPP and the Honorable Ministers who took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony.
NtensifyTM : a game-changing technology for continuous RNA manufacture
The Ntensify midi system has a completely redesigned and optimized process for mRNA synthesis and purification. The construct-agnostic platform, used with complementary reagent pre-mixes, allows for the automated continuous production of gram-scale quantities of mRNA drug substance in a cost-effective manner. This GMP-compliant instrument is ideal for mRNA-based vaccine development and manufacturing. Quantoom is delighted to have successfully installed the Ntensify system and be able to contribute to the development of the first African-owned mRNA COVID-19 vaccine paving the way toward an mRNA vaccine platform that will ensure fair access to vaccines for LMICs.
“Our team is thrilled to have shipped and installed our first Ntensify system in Cape Town. This marks an important milestone for the company as it’s the realization of a project we started less than two years ago! Back then, we wanted to revolutionize mRNA production and find innovative ways to support vaccine manufacturing during future potential pandemics” said José Castillo, CEO of Quantoom. “The Ntensify midi system brings radical innovation to mRNA production, and its successful installation in Cape Town is a testament to Quantoom’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for global health.”
“We are delighted to partner with Quantoom for the development of the first African-owned mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The successful installation of the Ntensify system in Cape Town is a crucial step towards achieving this goal and ensuring equitable access to vaccines for LMICs. We are excited about the potential of this game-changing technology for continuous mRNA manufacturing, and we look forward to leveraging it to create a sustainable and reliable supply of vaccines in Africa,” said Prof. Petro Terblanche, CEO of Afrigen.
Watch now the journey of the Ntensify midi system being transferred from Brussels to Cape Town.
***
About Quantoom Biosciences
Quantoom Biosciences is reinventing mRNA production by developing an RNA Platform (NfinityTM) that encompasses DNA (NplifyTM) and RNA (NtensifyTM) manufacturing and formulation (NcapsulateTM), along with critical reagent supply, from sequence to large scale production. We are a team of scientists, engineers and clinicians committed to solving some of the biggest DNA and RNA production challenges facing vaccines and therapeutics, by delivering greater access and autonomy to mRNA technology. Our facilities are strategically located in Belgium and France, in the heart of Europe, benefiting from an exceptional biotech ecosystem. Quantoom Biosciences is part of Univercells, a global life sciences Group with the mission of making biologics accessible to all”.
www.quantoom.com
Contact details Quantoom Biosciences S.A. José Castillo Chief Executive Officer | BE & FR Media Relations Cécile Hisette +32.473.36.14.11 |
|
|
To be updated
© 2018 All rights reserved
CREATED BY JANE-EYE CREATIVE
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |