History

IVI’s History: more than 25 years of vaccines for global health

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 UNDP 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
  • 2018
  • IVI establishes an independent Quality Management department
  • May 2018
  • IVI initiates single dose HPV vaccine study with a BMGF grant
  • Aug 2018
  • An IVI OCV campaign in Mozambique vaccinates 197,874 people against cholera
  • Oct 2018
  • IVI hosts its first State Forum, bringing together representatives from IVI signatories, state parties, and the broader diplomatic community to discuss the importance of vaccine R&D in global health diplomacy
  • Nov 2018
  • CEPI and IVI sign a master services agreement, formalizing their collaborative partnership
  • 2019
  • IVI receives a $3.3 million grant from the Wellcome Trust to continue the development of its invasive nontyphoidal salmonella (iNTS) vaccine
  • 2019
  • IVI begins phase III trials of its typhoid conjugate vaccine in Nepal and the Philippines
  • 2019
  • IVI completes preclinical studies on MERS-CoV and Zika vaccine candidates with its Korean development partners
  • 2019
  • IVI initiates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research programs- CAPTURA, RADAAR, and EQASIA, with grants from the Fleming Fund
  • 2019
  • IVI launches its Schistosomiasis vaccine clinical study (VASA) in Burkina Faso and Madagascar
  • 2019
  • IVI launches the THECA project to demonstrate the effectiveness of typhoid conjugate vaccines in Burkina Faso, D.R. Congo, Ghana, and Madagascar
  • 2019
  • IVI launches the Strep A Global Vaccine Consortium (SAVAC) with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute to advance the development of Group A Step vaccines
  • 2019
  • IVI launches its HPV single dose impact study with partners in Thailand
  • 2019
  • IVI initiates preclinical development programs for vaccines against adenovirus 55 and severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) with partners in Korea
  • 2019
  • The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety grants IVI Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) certification
  • 2019
  • 8th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers welcome remarks at IVI’s second annual State Forum
  • 2020
  • In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IVI joins forces with over 30 partners to support the preclinical and clinical development of COVID-19 vaccine candidates
  • 2020
  • Finland joins IVI, becoming a state funder and its 36th member state
  • 2020
  • With funding from CEPI, IVI and Baharat Biotech form a consortium to lead phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of Baharat’s chikungunya vaccine in Asia and Latin America
  • 2020
  • Bangladesh licensed Incepta’s Cholvax OCV, the first domestically manufactured cholera vaccine in Bangladesh, made possible by an IVI technology transfer
  • 2020
  • IVI initiates new typhoid surveillance (MOTIF) and vaccination campaigns (Ty-Ma) in Mozambique
  • 2020
  • IVI and Fiji launch the Typhoid Fever Intervention and Elimination Program (Ty-FIVE) program
  • 2020
  • IVI initiates the Enhancing Cholera Control (ECHO) programs in Nepal and Mozambique, and the Ethiopia Cholera vaccine effectiveness Control and Prevention (ECCP) program to support national surveillance and vaccination campaigns
  • 2020
  • As part of its enduring commitment to the SDGs, IVI introduces a Gender Policy to facilitate gender mainstreaming in its work, and takes steps towards establishing an integrated environmental management system
  • 2020
  • IVI’s State Forum considers the prospects of vaccine diplomacy through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), featuring statements from Queen Silvia of Sweden, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan of WHO, Dr. Seth Berkley of GAVI, Dr. Richard Hatchett of CEPI, Dr. Peter Hotez of the Baylor College of Medicien, and Ms. Etleva Kadilli of UNICEF
  • 2021
  • IVI continues and expands its support for the preclinical and clinical development of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as expanded surveillance and capacity building programs in LMICs to address the pandemic
  • 2021
  • Bangladesh ratifies the IVI Establishment Agreement, becoming IVI’s 19th state party
  • 2021
  • IVI establishes collaborating centers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar
  • 2021
  • IVI initiates a Full Value of Vaccines Assessment (FVVA) for iNTS vaccines
  • 2021
  • IVI initiates the Hepatitis E Epidemiology in Africa (HEVA) project to collect surveillance data on the presence of Hepatitis E in sub-Saharan Africa
  • 2021
  • IVI supports the preclinical development of vaccines against Nipah, CCHF, Hantavirus, Norovirus, TB, and paratyphoid
  • 2021
  • IVI and the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine sign an MOU to advance collaborative vaccine research
  • 2022
  • The UAE, Rwanda, Spain, and Thailand become State Parties to the IVI Establishment Agreement
  • 2022
  • The IVI Board of Trustees adds 2 seats for non-funding State Parties, which are filled by Ecuador and Rwanda
  • 2022
  • IVI establishes its European Regional Office in Stockholm, Sweden and an IVI Country Office in Vienna, Austria
  • 2022
  • IVI establishes a collaborating center at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) in Ethiopia
  • 2022
  • In collaboration with the Korean MOHW and the WHO, IVI opens and leads the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing program
  • 2022
  • IVI launches its Global Advisory Group of Experts (GAGE), chaired by Dr. Deborah Birx, to advance its diplomatic and global health efforts
  • 2022
  • IVI leads phase III clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by SK Bioscience at sites in Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Ukraine
  • 2022
  • South Korea domestically licenses the IVI-developed typhoid conjugate vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience
  • 2022
  • IVI signs an OCV technology transfer agreement with South Africa’s Biovac
  • 2022
  • The WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization reviews the evidence from IVI HPV study in Thailand which demonstrates the effectiveness of a single-dose of vaccine
  • 2022
  • IVI presents the first IVI-SK Bioscience Park MahnHoon Award to Dr. Tore Godal, Prof. Drew Weissman, and Prof. Katalin Karikó
  • 2022
  • IVI celebrates its 25th anniversary, presenting the IVI Founders Medal to Prof. Seung Il Shin, Prof. Barry Bloom, Prof. Wan Kyoo Cho, and Prof. Sang-Dai Park