History

IVI’s History: more than 20 years of vaccines for the poor

Initially, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) proposed the formation of IVI in Kyoto, Japan. However, following a competitive bidding process among six Asian countries vying to serve as IVI’s host, the UNDP Site Selection Committee recommended that IVI be based in the Republic of Korea.

  • Oct 1996
  • Republic of Korea and WHO sign the IVI Establishment Agreement at the UN headquarters in New York City.
  • Oct 1997
  • IVI is officially established under the Vienna Convention as an independent and autonomous international organization.
  • Jul 1999
  • Inauguration of the first Director General, Dr. John Clemens, at the IVI interim office at Seoul National University.
  • Jan 2000
  • The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) awards IVI its first grant, the Diseases of the Most Impoverished (DOMI) Program, to generate scientific evidence on the burden of cholera, typhoid fever, and shigellosis.
  • Jun 2003
  • Opening of the new headquarters building, donated by the Government of Korea and initiation of IVI’s Laboratory Sciences.
  • Jun 2003
  • BMGF awards a grant to launch the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative (PDVI) to accelerate the development and introduction of new dengue vaccines in dengue-endemic countries.
  • Jul 2006
  • BMGF awards a grant to launch the Cholera Vaccine Initiative (CHOVI) to develop and introduce new oral cholera vaccines in countries afflicted by cholera.
  • Oct 2007
  • BMGF awards a grant to launch the Vi-based Vaccines for Asia (VIVA) Initiative to develop and introduce new and improved Vi-based typhoid vaccines.
  • Oct 2008
  • Establishment of Biosafety Level 3+ (BSL3+) laboratories at IVI headquarters that allow for research on pathogens such as those that cause avian influenza and tuberculosis.
  • Feb 2009
  • The killed whole-cell oral cholera vaccine developed through IVI and produced by Shantha Biotechnics is licensed in India (Shanchol™), making it the first vaccine developed through IVI to achieve licensure.
  • Mar 2009
  • Inauguration of IVI-NICED (National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases) immune-monitoring laboratory in Kolkata, India for GCLP training and vaccine clinical trials. Supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the facility received WHO-TDR certification in June, 2010.
  • Apr 2010
  • Launch of the Typhoid Fever Surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa Program (TSAP), supported by BMGF, to assess the burden of typhoid in 10 countries in Africa.
  • Jan 2011
  • Launch of the Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI), a continuation of PDVI, with support from BMGF.
  • Sep 2011
  • WHO prequalification of the IVI-developed oral cholera vaccine (ShancholTM ) – IVI is one of only two Gates Foundation-supported nonprofit organizations to achieve this milestone.
  • Dec 2011
  • Inauguration of Dr. Christian Loucq as IVI’s second Director General at IVI headquarters.
  • Dec 2012
  • IVI and SK Chemicals establish a partnership to collaborate on the development of a new typhoid conjugate vaccine. This is IVI’s first partnership with a major Korean company for vaccine technology transfer and clinical development.
  • Oct 2013
  • Results from five-year follow-up of a Phase III trial of the oral cholera vaccine (ShancholTM) show protective efficacy of about 65 percent for five years. This is the first time an oral cholera vaccine had been proven to provide strong and sustained protection.
  • Dec 2013
  • IVI, through the Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI), initiates a project to support dengue vaccine development in Brazil and Vietnam with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF).
  • Jan 2014
  • IVI launches partnership with Incepta Vaccine Ltd. of Bangladesh by transferring technology for the oral cholera vaccine, followed by technology transfer for the typhoid conjugate vaccine. IVI is currently working with Incepta on developing these vaccines for Bangladesh.
  • Aug 2014
  • EuBiologics of Korea is granted financing from the Global Health Investment Fund (GHIF) for development and production of the oral cholera vaccine, with IVI’s support. IVI has been partnering with EuBiologics since 2010 on the tech transfer and development of the oral cholera vaccine (Euvichol).
  • Dec 2014
  • BMGF awards a grant to IVI for the clinical development of a new typhoid conjugate vaccine in collaboration with SK Chemicals and PT BioFarma.
  • Feb 2015
  • Euvichol receives licensure and is the first cholera vaccine developed and produced in Korea for use in developing nations.
  • Feb 2015
  • The Korean Ministry of Food & Drug Safety grants an export license to EuBiologics’ oral cholera vaccine, Euvichol.
    IVI, with local health authorities and LG Electronics, conducts a cholera vaccination campaign in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. This is the first time the cholera vaccine was introduced in Ethiopia. More than 40,000 people were immunized.
  • Mar 2015
  • IVI, with Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malawi’s Ministry of Health, and the WHO, conduct emergency cholera vaccinations in the flood-stricken Nsanje District of Malawi in response to concerns over a cholera outbreak. The campaign immunized more than 130,000 people.
  • May 2015
  • IVI’s International Advanced Vaccinology Course in the Asia-Pacific Region celebrates its 15th year. This annual course has trained more than 1,200 vaccine professionals over the past 18 years.
  • Jun 2015
  • Inauguration of Dr. Jerome Kim as IVI’s third Director General is held at IVI headquarters.
  • Jan 2016
  • Severe Typhoid in Africa Program starts (funded by BMGF).
  • Sept 2016
  • Global Dengue and Aedes-transmitted Diseases Consortium (GDAC) is launched with the merger of DVI and Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC).
  • Aug 2017
  • IVI signs MOU with India to cooperate on vaccine development; Oral cholera vaccine (Euvichol-Plus) is WHO-prequalified
  • Sept 2017
  • Research Investment for Global Health Technology (RIGHT) Fund, a new public-private-partnership fund for global health R&D announced to be established in Korea by the Korean government, BMGF, leading Korean pharma companies, and IVI
  • Oct. 2017
  • IVI commemorates 20th anniversary
  • May 2018
  • IVI initiates single dose HPV vaccine study with a BMGF grant