Moderna is turning its mRNA tech to even more global health challenges through a partnership with nonprofit research organization IAVI.
The collaboration will focus on developing vaccines and antibodies for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, antimicrobial-resistant enteric infections and, of course, COVID-19. IAVI, which focuses on drug discovery for urgent public health threats, will work with the famed biotech and its mRNA platform to advance candidates to help low-income countries where these diseases are common.
Moderna’s mRNA platform can help develop material for clinical testing more quickly than traditional recombinant protein synthesis or cell systems can, the company said. With this speed, the collaboration aims to accelerate research and development efforts. If any of the candidates are successful, Moderna said they could be manufactured quickly and at a large scale.
The partnership already has a few candidates in mind. First up is a phase 1 HIV vaccine called IAVI G002 that uses mRNA to deliver antigens. The trial kicked off in January, building on earlier research from a team led by Scripps Research Professor William Schief, Ph.D., who serves as executive director of vaccine design at IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center. The trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Moderna and IAVI announced back in January the advancement of IAVI G002 in HIV.
Another trial for IAVI G003 will begin in South Africa and Rwanda later this year, supported by the Gates Foundation as well as the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which is part of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Preclinical efforts in the collaboration include candidates for TB, COVID-19 and HIV.