Recent news
November 2011
GHTC member receives WHO prequalification for cholera vaccine
November 14, 2011 -- GHTC member the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced that Shanchol™, a recently developed cholera vaccine, has received World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification. This innovative vaccine was developed through a public-private partnership between IVI, Vabiotech, Shantha and Sanofi and has been sold in India since 2009. Under the WHO’s prequalification program, the agency provides an independent opinion on the quality, safety, and efficacy of drugs and vaccines required for purchase by United Nations procurement agencies. Although WHO is not a regulator, its prequalification program is an important signal of quality, safety, and efficacy to countries without sufficient regulatory capabilities.
“I am immensely pleased by the news that Shanchol™, a vaccine enabled by IVI, received WHO prequalification. This stamp of approval shows that public-private partnerships—such as those among IVI, Vabiotech, Shantha and Sanofi—are essential for successful vaccine development, particularly in developing vaccines against neglected diseases of the poor like cholera,” said Christian Loucq, IVI’s new director general.
In a press release, IVI credited the success of the vaccine to the collaborative work with many partners around the world, including financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the governments of Korea and Sweden. The vaccine also received technical support from scientists in Sweden, as well as at Vietnam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and production experts at Shantha. IVI enabled technology transfer from Vabiotech, a vaccine manufacturer in Vietnam, to Shantha for the production of cholera vaccine. IVI also established and transferred tests to ensure the vaccine was of the highest quality and enabled improvements in production to keep manufacturing costs as low as possible.
