In 2019, the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and partnering organizations formed the Strep A Vaccine Global Consortium (SAVAC) to facilitate the development of a Group A Strep (GAS) vaccine.
In response to the unanimous adoption of the World Health Organization’s Global Resolution on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease at the World Health Assembly in 2018, SAVAC’s mission is to ensure the availability of safe, globally effective, and affordable GAS vaccines for those most at risk.
According to Dr Jean-Louis Excler, SAVAC’s Project Lead:
SAVAC is expected to enact and enable the WHO Strep A Vaccine Research and Development Roadmap and assess the “Full Value of Vaccine” along with the WHO. From development to delivery, SAVAC will be a stepping stone to a future GAS vaccine. Learn more about the consortium here.
SAVAC is made possible by the Wellcome Trust which granted $2.4 million to IVI and consortium partnering organizations to coordinate world efforts to develop a vaccine against Strep A and to identify manufacturers.