SII manufactures and ships Oxford Univ’s Ebola vaccine in record time

Oxford’s Ebola vaccine candidate has been shipped to Uganda, 80 days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Sudan Ebola virus outbreak, having been manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) working in close partnership with WHO, a note on behalf of the Oxford University said.  

“Following presentation of key data to the WHO generated in Oxford by Professor Lambe’s team, it was announced on 17th November that the vaccine had been recommended for inclusion in a ring vaccination trial to combat a Sudan Ebola virus outbreak in Uganda,” the University said.

The Oxford team led by Proffesor Lambe has been working on the vaccine, including ongoing clinical trials in Oxford and Tanzania; manufacture scale-up was led by the Serum Institute and supported by Proffesor Sandy Douglas, of the Jenner Institute. This research was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), it added.

In just a few weeks, SII, who had also partnered with the University on its Covid-19 vaccines, produced 40,000 doses for the trial, the note added.

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Teresa Lambe, Professor of Vaccinology and Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said, “This exceptional partnership has demonstrated yet again the importance of academics working with large scale manufacturers to rapidly pivot and respond to outbreaks, and the importance of working with and having the full support of WHO. Importantly, the speed at which we have responded, gives real hope to achieving the 100 day mission and tackling deadly diseases of global impact.”  

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute, added, “To combat the widespread outbreak of the Sudan Ebola virus in Uganda, it is important to prioritise immunisation. The 40,000 doses of vaccine manufactured in record time is a remarkable milestone in our long-standing association with Oxford University.”

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