‘Developed nations must boost aid to tackle diseases in developing world’

Participants listen to Dr. Margret Liu, visiting professor of Karolinska Institute in Sweden,
who delivered a lecture on "Gene-based Vaccines" during the symposium.

Commemorating the 10th anniversary of its founding, the IVI hosted a symposium on vaccines, entitled "Vaccines for the 21st Century,” in Seoul on April 2. This one-day symposium brought together more than 200 people from Korea and around the world.

Distinguished speakers in the symposium included Dr. John Schiller (National Cancer Institute, USA),  developer of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Professor Francoise Barre-Sinoussi (Institut Pasteur, France), co-discoverer of HIV; Professor Lee Ho-Wang, discoverer of the Hanta virus and former president of the Korean National Academy of Sciences; and Professor Jan Holmgren (Gothenburg University, Sweden),  developer of the first oral cholera vaccine.

Participants reviewed the latest developments in vaccines and exchanged perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing vaccine science. Thd discussions also highlighted the progress and achievements that the IVI has made over the past decade as the world’s only international organization devoted exclusively to new vaccines for developing countries.

Sir Gustav Nossal, Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne in Australia,
makes the keynote speech, entitled, "A Decade of Progress in Global Immunization,"
at the symposium. On his right is Dr. John Clemens, IVI´s Director-General.

Sir Gustav Nossal (University of Melbourne, Australia), a world authority in vaccinology, delivered the keynote speech, entitled “A Decade of Progress in Global Immunization” (Watch presentation). As Prof. Nossal stated, “The industrialized world can well afford to provide aid to affected countries, which can truly make an impact on the communicable diseases that  so unfairly still afflict poorer countries.” He urged developed countries to increase efforts to support the accelerated introduction of new vaccines against neglected diseases that affect the poor.

“Much of the publicity about third world health problems has centered on the so-called ‘big three’ infections: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria,” said Prof. Nossal, who also served as the vice chairman of the IVI’s founding Board of Trustees. Lauding the IVI’s efforts, he noted that “While not neglecting these, the IVI has taken the courageous decision to concentrate on less glamorous and more neglected diseases, including diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections and mosquito-borne viral diseases.” These diseases still kill an estimated 4 million children worldwide every year, mainly among infants and young children living in poverty.

During his presentation, the IVI’s Director-General, Dr. John Clemens, explained that the Institute has been addressing vaccine development against these diseases through a range of programs, classified as “translational research,” now taking place in 28 developing countries (Watch presentation). He noted these programs, encompassing epidemiological, clinical and economic studies, provide policymakers in resource-poor nations with critical evidence for introducing new vaccines. These programs also synergize with broad-ranging laboratory research programs at the IVI headquarters in Seoul, to discover and develop new vaccines, new immunological tests and new adjuvants. The IVI´s translational research and laboratory sciences programs also offer training and technical assistance activities for vaccine professionals in developing countries.

“The IVI’s future growth and development will capitalize on its strengths and on the niche in translational research and training aimed at introducing new vaccines to developing countries, as well as its rapidly growing capabilities in vaccine development and laboratory sciences,” Dr. Clemens said. “Our future programs will include a greater focus on certain diseases, such as influenza and tuberculosis, an expanded geographic focus on Africa, and increased work in the area of policy research.”

Dr. John Schiller gave a lecture on vaccines against cervical cancer, which is caused largely by HPV, and which is the second leading cancer in women worldwide. He said that while studies have shown that the two currently available HPV vaccines from Merck and GSK are effective in protecting against cervical cancer, “Pap screening programs cannot be abandoned with the introduction of an HPV vaccine, since the vaccines will neither protect against infection by all HPV serotypes nor do they induce regression of established infections of the types contained in the vaccine.” Also, there is a concern that the vaccine will not reach the economically disadvantaged women who are most in need of it. “At $120 per dose (and a regimen of three doses), the cost of vaccination programs will strain the budgets of even the most developed countries,” he said.

The symposium was sponsored by Boryung, CheilJedang, ChongKunDang Pharm, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Emergent Biosolutions, GSK, Green Cross, IOMAI, MSD, sanofi pasteur, Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Shantha Biotech, Shinhan Bank, and Woongjin.