Joint Press Release

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 8 2026 — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is participating in ACT-CHIK (Accelerating Clinical Trials for CHIKungunya Vaccine in Africa), a new €15.3 million project funded by Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, to advance clinical trials and prepare for the manufacturing of a chikungunya vaccine in Africa.

The four-year research project brings together seven partners across four continents to advance the clinical development of MV-CHIK—a measles-virus-based chikungunya vaccine originally developed by ACT-CHIK coordinator, Institut Pasteur.

As part of the consortium, IVI will serve as clinical trial sponsor and contribute expertise in regulatory strategy, clinical development, and capacity building to support the advancement of an accessible chikungunya vaccine for populations most affected by the disease.

Dr. Anh Wartel, Deputy Director General, Regional Director of the IVI Europe Regional Office, and co-scientific project lead of ACT-CHIK, said: “With only one chikungunya vaccine currently available worldwide, it is more important than ever to advance alternative vaccine candidates through rigorous clinical evaluation. ACT-CHIK will leverage IVI’s experience as a clinical trial sponsor and our established networks across Africa to ensure the highest standards of trial conduct, while building a clear regulatory pathway toward licensure on the continent and eventual WHO prequalification. Our goal is not only to evaluate this promising vaccine, but to build lasting capacity so that African institutions can lead vaccine research and development for the diseases that affect their communities most.”

Dr. Sotiris Missailidis, ACT-CHIK project coordinator at Institut Pasteur, said: “Chikungunya remains a neglected disease in Africa despite its growing burden. ACT-CHIK represents a unique opportunity to generate critical clinical data in the populations that need this vaccine most, while simultaneously building the foundation for regional vaccine manufacturing on the continent. This project embodies Institut Pasteur’s commitment to translating its research into concrete public health solutions for the most vulnerable populations.”

Prof. Leon Mutesa, co-scientific project lead for ACT-CHIK at the University of Rwanda, added: “The University of Rwanda will assume stewardship of scientific governance and leadership to advance vaccine manufacturing and equitable access, thereby reinforcing Africa’s manufacturing and regulatory ecosystems. The scientific rigor and contextual innovation will enhance chikungunya preparedness and outbreak control in Africa, embedding ACT-CHIK as a cornerstone in Africa’s broader vaccine manufacturing and access agenda under the Africa CDC 2040 vision.”

A growing public health threat
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. It causes debilitating symptoms, including high fever, severe joint pain that can persist for months or even years, headache, rash, and fatigue. Over the past two decades, the number of chikungunya cases reported across Africa has risen sharply. Yet, the disease remains largely underdiagnosed and under-reported, particularly in regions where multiple arboviruses and malaria co-circulate. Climate change is further expanding the range of mosquito vectors, increasing the risk of outbreaks across the globe, and most notably in Africa.

Although chikungunya vaccines have recently become available, their use remains limited largely among travellers, with cost and access constraints hindering their deployment in endemic regions. In this context, the MV-CHIK candidate represents a different approach, grounded in public health priorities: it is designed to be accessible to populations in endemic areas and aims to support local production. This positioning will address a major gap in equitable access to vaccination and to strengthen outbreak preparedness in regions where the need is greatest.

An innovative vaccine platform for Africa
The MV-CHIK vaccine is a live-attenuated, recombinant vaccine using the well-established measles virus Schwarz vaccine strain as a vector — a platform technology originally developed at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. Six Phase I and II clinical trials conducted in Europe, the United States, and Puerto Rico, including approximately 600 adult participants in total, have demonstrated satisfactory safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity profiles.

Building on these encouraging results, ACT-CHIK will conduct a Phase Ib/III multicenter, international clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of MV-CHIK in adults (18–55 years), adolescents (12–17 years), and children (5–11 years) living in Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. By enrolling 940 participants across both endemic and non-endemic areas, the trial will generate essential data to advance the clinical development plan for African populations, including younger age groups.

Strengthening Africa’s vaccine ecosystem
Beyond clinical evaluation, the project has a strategic manufacturing dimension. ACT-CHIK will conduct comprehensive due diligence, gap analysis, and prepare for the technology transfer of the MV-CHIK vaccine manufacturing process to the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), Africa’s only WHO-prequalified vaccine manufacturer. Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) in Brazil, a fellow member of the Pasteur Network, will prepare the clinical trial materials and contribute its extensive vaccine manufacturing expertise to the technology transfer process.

The project will also develop a regulatory pathway for the licensure of the MV-CHIK vaccine in Africa through engagement with national regulatory authorities and the World Health Organization prequalification teams, to obtain prequalification.

ACT-CHIK directly supports Africa’s ambition — as set by the African Union — to produce 60% of the continent’s vaccine needs locally by 2040, and is aligned with the European Union’s Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines (TEI MAV+).

An international consortium spanning four continents
ACT-CHIK brings together seven partner institutions with complementary expertise:

• Institut Pasteur (Paris, France) — Project coordinator; developer of the MV-CHIK vaccine platform
• International Vaccine Institute (Seoul, Republic of Korea) — Clinical trial sponsor, regulatory strategy, and capacity building
• University of Rwanda (Kigali, Rwanda) — Scientific project leadership and clinical trial site
• Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Dakar, Senegal) — Vaccine technology transfer recipient, clinical laboratory assays, and clinical trial site
• Fundação Oswaldo Cruz – Fiocruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Clinical trial material manufacturing (fill & finish) and technology transfer support
• Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (Irrua, Nigeria) — Clinical trial site
• Kenya Medical Research Institute – KEMRI (Nairobi, Kenya) — Clinical trial site and lead on data dissemination and communication

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About the International Vaccine Institute
The International Vaccine Institute is an international organization dedicated to advancing vaccine discovery, development, and delivery—especially for vulnerable communities. Through research, partnerships, and innovation, IVI enhances global health, strengthens pandemic preparedness, and ensures equitable access to life-saving vaccines worldwide. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.

About the Institut Pasteur
Institut Pasteur, a non-profit foundation with recognized public utility status set up in 1887 by Louis Pasteur, is today an internationally renowned center for biomedical research. In pursuit of its mission to prevent and combat diseases in France and throughout the world, it operates in four main areas: research, public health, education and training, and development of research applications. Institut Pasteur is a member of the Pasteur Network, an international network of 33 members on five continents united by Pasteurian values, contributing to global health.

Contact
Christine Demsteader, Communications Manager
christine.demsteader@ivi.int