Shift Health Co-Authors Paper on Developing a Preventive MERS-CoV Vaccine

Shift Health, together with the International Vaccine Institute, the Saudi Ministry of Health and the MERS-CoV Vaccine Working Group, co-authored a paper synthesizing discussions from a recent gathering of funding agencies, non-governmental organizations and researchers on the development of a preventive MERS-CoV vaccine. The article was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID).

The MERS vaccine workshop, held 14-15 November 2015 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was spearheaded by the Saudi Ministry of Health and co-organized by the International Vaccine Institute in South Korea. Representatives from academia, industry, the not-for-profit sector and government, including the US National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, contributed to a diverse agenda covering mechanistic, preclinical, regulatory and logistical aspects of MERS vaccine development.

Shift Health facilitated discussions on research priorities and potential partnership models, helping to align players around a clear action plan to support investment decisions and accelerate translation of candidates into the clinic.

Read the abstract below and the full article here.

Abstract

Toward Developing a Preventive MERS-CoV Vaccine—Report from a Workshop Organized by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health and the International Vaccine Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 14–15, 2015

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) remains a serious international public health threat. With the goal of accelerating the development of countermeasures against MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), funding agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers across the world assembled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 14–15, 2015, to discuss vaccine development challenges. The meeting was spearheaded by the Saudi Ministry of Health and co-organized by the International Vaccine Institute, South Korea. Accelerating the development of a preventive vaccine requires a better understanding of MERS epidemiology, transmission, and pathogenesis in humans and animals. A combination of rodent and nonhuman primate models should be considered in evaluating and developing preventive and therapeutic vaccine candidates. Dromedary camels should be considered for the development of veterinary vaccines. Several vaccine technology platforms targeting the MERS-CoV spike protein were discussed. Mechanisms to maximize investment, provide robust data, and affect public health are urgently needed.

Excler JL, Delvecchio CJ, Wiley RE, Williams M, Yoon IK, Modjarrad K, et al. Toward developing a preventive MERS-CoV vaccine—Report from a workshop organized by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health and the International Vaccine Institute, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 14–15, 2015. Emerg Infect Dis. 2016 Aug [July 25, 2016]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2208.160229