January 9, 2023, SEOUL, Republic of Korea — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a Seoul, Korea-based international organization devoted to vaccines for global health, and Batavia Biosciences (Batavia), a Dutch CDMO based in Leiden, signed a memorandum of understanding on January 9 to promote cooperation for vaccine development.
The MOU signing ceremony was held at IVI Headquarters on the day in the presence of IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim, Deputy Director General of Science Dr. Manki Song, and Batavia CEO and COO, Dr. Menzo Havenga and Dr. Chris Yallop. Under the agreement, the two organizations plan to promote joint development of vaccines for global health by actively utilizing IVI’s global network and extensive collaboration experience with low- and middle-income countries, as well as Batavia’s advanced production and quality control capabilities.
Batavia, acquired by CJ CheilJedang in 2021, is a biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) company headquartered in the Netherlands and has process development and manufacturing capabilities in next generation biotherapies including vaccines, oncolytic virotherapies and cell and gene therapies. Recently, Batavia participated in the development of measles and rubella vaccines with the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), a non-profit organization in Senegal, reflecting its keen interest in global health issues.
Dr. Menzo Havenga CEO of Batavia said, “Combining our high cell density, low cost, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technology with IVI’s global cooperation network, allows us to expedite the development of vaccines and capacity onshoring in low- and middle-income countries.”
IVI is supporting a number of companies worldwide to accelerate the clinical development (including clinical sample analysis) of vaccine candidates against various infectious diseases. “IVI works to rapidly develop and distribute crucial vaccines by actively utilizing innovative vaccine technologies, thereby contributing to improving global public health,” said IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim. “This partnership will facilitate efforts of both organizations to accelerate the development of new vaccines and to create sustainable manufacturing capacity in regional vaccine manufacturers globally.”
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About Batavia Biosciences
Batavia Biosciences significantly contributes to easing human suffering from infectious diseases, cancer, and genetic disorders. Hereto, we leverage our technologies and in-depth know-how at all stages of the product development trajectory, from the transition into early clinical studies, to navigating late-stage clinical development and entering commercial manufacturing. Our innovative technology allows us to deliver at higher speed, with reduced costs, and with increased success. The company operates state-of-the-art development and manufacturing facilities in Europe and the US. As part of the CJ CheilJedang global family, we are building a strong position in global health with our strategic partners worldwide. For more information visit www.bataviabiosciences.com
About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.
IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that is currently under assessment for WHO PQ.
IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden and Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 39 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, and Finland provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.
CONTACT
Aerie Em, Global Communications & Media Specialist
+82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@ivi.int