Merck subsidary MilliporeSigma has collaborated with Oxford University’s Jenner Institute to devise a robust and scalable vaccine manufacturing process to drive availability.
The main focus will be the development of adenovirus vaccines – a vaccine that uses a type of DNA virus as a delivery vehicle.
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Researchers will use Merck’s technology to develop a cost-effective and transferable manufacturing process aimed at accelerating global vaccine development and production.
Merck Life Science executive board member and CEO Udit Batra said: “The collaboration with the Jenner Institute will facilitate access to affordable vaccines while improving the global response to disease outbreaks.
“Together with our partners we have shaped how vaccine production is done today and are helping to solve the toughest problems of tomorrow.”
The partners are aiming for a closed process that can be used in a cleanroom to reduce contamination, as part of the biological safety requirements for viral vectors.
Jenner Institute director Adrian Hill said: “Merck is an excellent partner for enhancing our capabilities in adenovirus vaccine development, as the newly developed process should match or exceed our existing process in terms of productivity and purity.
“Such improvements should help advance the development of clinical-grade, injectable drug product for use in clinical trials and other research applications.”
The Jenner Institute, a partnership between the University of Oxford and the The Pirbright Institute, was founded to develop innovative vaccines against major global diseases.
