CEPI and Oxford advance Arenavirus vaccine research

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the University of Oxford today announced the launch of a new project to begin early development of prototype vaccines against the Junn virus, which has been chosen as an exemplar of the Arenavirus family, which is responsible for a number of lethal haemorrhagic fevers with epidemic and pandemic potential. This project’s data and materials could provide the world a head start in producing safe and effective vaccinations against Arenaviruses within 100 days of their discovery, thus preventing a future pandemic.

CEPI will contribute up to $25 million to Oxford for preclinical and Phase I clinical development of a vaccine against the Junn virus using Oxford’s ChAdOx platform – the foundation for Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine, which saved 6.3 million lives in the first year of global vaccine rollout – and other rapid response platforms. Junn virus is endemic to South America’s Pampas region, which includes Buenos Aires, and can cause Argentine Haemorrhagic Fever, with symptoms including muscular pain, disorientation, rashes, and a 15-30% case mortality.

Junn virus is an example of an Arenavirus.

The Oxford team was able to produce a COVID-19 vaccine at an unparalleled rate, thanks in part to their previous work on developing a vaccine against MERS, a closely related virus from the coronavirus family. Because they had solved many of the important vaccinology challenges for coronaviruses in advance, the researchers had a big head start when COVID-19 surfaced.

CEPI and Oxford are now attempting to replicate this approach for the Arenavirus family by generating critical knowledge about vaccine design and biological mechanisms linked to protection against the Junn virus, which could significantly accelerate vaccine development against other Arenavirus viruses. The viral family contains both New World Arenaviruses, a different group within the Arenavirus family that includes viruses such as Junn, and Old World Arenaviruses such as Lassa fever, one of CEPI’s priority pathogens identified on the WHO R&D Blueprint as requiring urgent R&D action.

“COVID-19 was a wake-up call to the world, highlighting the critical need to be better prepared for future viral threats,” stated Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. The University of Oxford’s significant vaccinology experience, as well as its breakthrough ChAdOx vaccine technology – one of only a handful of vaccine platforms shown to function at speed, scale, and low cost – will be used in this new effort to increase the world’s scientific understanding on Arenavirus vaccines. When faced with future dangers, the project would create critical resources for the projected Global Vaccine Library, assisting in the acceleration of efforts to shorten vaccine development durations to 100 days.”

“In this new project, scientists here in Oxford and in Latin America will develop and test candidate vaccines for Junn virus using both viral vector and mRNA technology,” said Professor Teresa Lambe, lead of the project and Calleva Head of Vaccine Immunology and a Professor of Vaccinology & Immunology based in the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG), and investigator at the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford.

“Our research will not only help to develop best-in-class vaccines against the Junn virus, but it will also help to develop vaccines for the larger group of Arenaviruses.” This broader influence could be critical in assisting the globe in rapidly developing and manufacturing safe, affordable vaccinations, thereby preparing us for future pandemic threats.”

The prototype vaccines, data, and knowledge about Arenaviruses generated by this research could be critical components of the proposed Global Vaccine Library: a global repository of vaccine resources, capabilities, and data that can be pulled ‘off the shelf’ and quickly adapted in response to a future outbreak, accelerating the development of life-saving vaccines.

As part of the project, a team of scientists from the University of Oxford (Professors Teresa Lambe, Sandy Douglas, Thomas Brown, and Sue Ann Costa Clemens) will look into improving vaccine manufacturing processes to speed up and scale up vaccine production on their ChAdOx platform. The goal is to demonstrate ‘proof-of-concept’ that the technology may drastically shorten vaccine development timescales from sequencing to clinical trial material manufacturing, in keeping with the timeframes set out to meet the 100 Days Mission for rapid vaccine distribution during an outbreak.

Providing equal access

CEPI and the University of Oxford are committed to ensuring equitable access to the partnership’s outputs in accordance with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy, so that vaccines are available to populations when and where they are needed to end an outbreak, curtail an epidemic, or pandemic, regardless of ability to pay. If the vaccine is effective in clinical testing, CEPI and the University of Oxford will evaluate potential technology transfer to manufacturers in the Global South.

Clinical trial data and results developed as part of this research will be made available for free to the global scientific community.

This is the first initiative to be launched as part of a strategic cooperation established in August 2023 between CEPI and the University of Oxford. In pursuit of the 100 Days Mission, CEPI will fund a total of up to US$80 million to assist numerous projects in the design, manufacture, and vaccination methods for globally accessible vaccines against known and undiscovered epidemic diseases (Disease X). The worldwide target, embraced by the G7 and G20, intends to reduce vaccine development timeframes to one-third of the time required to develop COVID-19 vaccines. In the following months, other projects that fit under the purview of the strategic alliance will be disclosed.

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