CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)

CEPI’s November newsletter is out! 🗞️ Bringing together fresh updates from our global work to strengthen epidemic and pandemic preparedness, this edition spotlights recent regulatory “pressure test” simulations in Brasilia and Mombasa, early clinical progress on a Lassa fever vaccine, new partnerships to speed up vaccine manufacturing and release, and the first status report from the Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative. You’ll also find open funding calls, recommended reading, and lots more.

CEPI’s new publication lays out the blueprint for equitable access at the heart of the organisation’s outbreak R&D ⬇️ Time and again, life-saving vaccines have curtailed even the deadliest outbreaks. But unfortunately, the innovation that drives vaccine development doesn’t always extend to ensure that the people who most need those vaccines will have access. The drivers of this inequity are not universal. From commercial viability to vaccine scarcity, the very nature of a pathogen causes access issues to manifest in different ways. By understanding how a pathogen behaves, though, we can identify which barriers to equitable access are likely to materialise and tailor our interventions accordingly. That’s exactly what CEPI’s recently published ‘pathogen archetype framework’ aims to do: it codifies the access challenges that typically emerge for different types of pathogens. This knowledge enables CEPI and its partners to align on a common set of access priorities, helping more people get the vaccines they need during future outbreaks. This framework groups pathogens into four archetypes: LMIC Scarcity, LMIC Suitability, Low Commercial Viability and Ecosystem Readiness, based on geographic footprint and demand predictability 🌎📈 Learn more about these pathogen archetypes, which viruses fall into each category, and how this approach guides CEPI’s access funding, advocacy, and catalysing efforts in a new blog authored by CEPI’s access experts Emma Wheatley, Gill Mason, Sharvani Saraf and Arsalan Azmat ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e_mGGK4C

Earlier this month, CEPI joined ANVISA and Brazil’s Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde) for a tabletop exercise designed to explore how Brazil’s regulatory systems would operate in a future epidemic or pandemic in a 100 Days Mission scenario. The simulation walked teams through a hypothetical outbreak, testing how emergency regulatory pathways, coordination mechanisms, and end-to-end working models between ANVISA and the Ministry of Health teams would function under real-time pressure. It covered the full regulatory process, from reviewing pre-clinical data to large-scale post-market pharmacovigilance, and examined how Brazil could assess, approve, and distribute critical vaccines if the need arises. The exercise created a transparent forum to highlight strengths in current systems and identify opportunities to streamline processes further. It also underscored the importance of ANVISA’s policies on international collaboration and reliance mechanisms in accelerating access to vaccines and other countermeasures. CEPI commends the leadership and engagement of ANVISA and the Ministry of Health throughout the exercise. Their commitment reflects Brazil’s strong role in global health security and supports collective efforts to deliver vaccines within 100 days when the next threat emerges. https://lnkd.in/eGi8GptV

Strengthening partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration were at the heart of CEPI’s recent visit to Australia. During the trip, CEO Dr Richard Hatchett, Chair Jane Halton AO PSM, and other CEPI representatives met with political, government, and scientific leaders to explore how Australia can further strengthen health security across the Indo-Pacific. In discussions with key stakeholders, the delegation reflected on CEPI’s achievements since 2017, including progress on medical countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases through investments in the Indo-Pacific region, in Australian biotech, universities, and agencies such as CSIRO and the Therapeutic Goods Administration. These collective efforts strengthen health security for Australia and the wider region, helping to speed up responses to future threats and ensure equitable access to vaccines. The visit also offered valuable opportunities to exchange views with Members of the Australian Parliament and leaders from across government, including Foreign Affairs and Trade, Health, Defence and Agriculture, underscoring Australia’s cross-government commitment to pandemic preparedness. Conversations also explored the country’s evolving health security architecture, including the establishment of a new Centre for Disease Control and noted a new collaboration of world-leading medical research and public health organisations the Australian Institute for Infectious Diseases—both important milestones for domestic and regional resilience and innovation. It was an energising visit that reaffirmed Australia’s crucial role as a trusted partner in advancing the 100 Days Mission and building enduring regional capability. Discover more about CEPI’s work to date with Australia and why this partnership is more important than ever for the future of our collective global health security in Australian Strategic Policy Institute The Strategist's recent article: https://lnkd.in/e_3-cs7c

Exciting news for global health innovation!   Congratulations to Sentinel on receiving the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change $100M award—a powerful endorsement of community‑led pandemic prevention.   Co‑led by Professor Christian Happi and Dr Pardis Sabeti, Sentinel builds cost‑effective pathogen detection tests, deploys real‑time outbreak‑tracking tools, and trains local scientists to mount community‑led responses—already reaching 3,000+ public health workers across 53 African countries. The Sentinel program began as a collaboration between Prof Happi’s lab and Dr Sabeti’s lab at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on #LassaFever.    We’re proud to recognise Professor Christian Happi’s contribution as a former member of CEPI’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and applaud Prof Happi’s and Dr Sabeti’s innovative engagement of the private and philanthropic sectors—from tech companies to philanthropic partners—to scale this work.   This achievement shows what’s possible when science, collaboration, and cross‑sector partnership come together to protect us all. Learn more about the Sentinel project here: https://lnkd.in/g9Hbnjri Read more about the award here: https://lnkd.in/edF3eifY 

Join OOASWAHO || West African Health Organization, CEPI and partners for a webinar publicly launching two key resources to strengthen the evidence base for future Lassa fever vaccines: the Prioritised Research Agenda for Advancing Lassa Fever Vaccine Policy and Decision-Making and the new open-access Lassa Fever Research Repository. As Lassa fever vaccine candidates move toward late-stage trials, these tools will help policymakers, funders, and researchers focus on the data needed for timely, equitable vaccine introduction across West Africa, where the disease is endemic. CEPI’s Oyeronke Oyebanji, Head of Lassa Engagement, will moderate the high-level webinar, featuring expert presentations, a live demo of the Repository, and an interactive Q&A. 📅 25 November 2025 🕛 12:00 GMT 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/eP3J-V-m

A new CEPI-funded initiative seeks to address a major hurdle in vaccine manufacturing: the slow, complex process of potency testing. These assays are vital for confirming a vaccine’s ability to trigger an immune response and often rely on time-consuming cell culture and reagent-based methods that can delay development and release by days or even weeks.   With up to $195,811 in CEPI support, LumaCyte is partnering with IDT Biologika to deploy its Radiance® instrument and advance a reagent-free potency assay using Laser Force Cytology™ (LFC). This novel label-free technology detects subtle cellular changes from viral infection or gene expression, eliminating the need for reagents and lengthy endpoint assays. By delivering rapid, high-resolution, and reproducible data, the approach not only accelerates vaccine release but also enhances quality assurance and safety across important development and manufacturing workflows.   By enabling faster, more precise, and scalable potency measurements, this innovation supports the 100 Days Mission—reducing costs, simplifying supply chains, and strengthening global readiness for future outbreaks.

The Regionalized Vaccine Manufacturing Collaborative (RVMC) has released its first Status Report - a major step toward building sustainable, regionally-led vaccine manufacturing across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Co-founded by CEPI, WEF, US NAM and other partners, RVMC aims to strengthen regional manufacturing and supply chains so that every region can access vaccines quickly and equitably in future outbreaks, helping to overcome a major barrier to access during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report provides the first comprehensive baseline for progress across RVMC’s eight pillars, from financing and regulation to technology and demand. It highlights both momentum and remaining gaps in regionalised manufacturing: 🔵 Regional manufacturers supply only 29% of ASEAN, 25% of LAC, and 1% of Africa’s vaccine needs 🔵 Limited regulatory alignment continues to constrain cross-border supply 🔵 Technology access and innovation capacity remain uneven across regions As Dr Frederik Kristensen, Managing Director of the CEPI-hosted RVMC Secretariat, notes, progress is real, but greater coordination is needed to turn commitment into fully funded, regionally led action. Strengthening regionalised vaccine manufacturing is central to CEPI’s mission to ensure equitable access to vaccines, and we will continue to work with partners like RVMC to achieve this ambition. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e6QnZhwj Read full report: https://lnkd.in/ebFKc5Aq

It was a pleasure to join Michael Anderson CB from MedAccess to talk about a topic that has been the subject of so much of my work: market shaping.  Over my career, from GSK, to Gavi and now at CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations), I’ve seen how deliberate market interventions can unlock equitable access, strengthen supply, and help ensure vaccines are available widely, reliably and affordably.  None of this is achieved by one organisation alone. It requires partnership, persistence, and creating deep alignment between public health needs and market incentives. In the interview, we explored how the discipline of market shaping was built, what makes a vaccine market functional, resilient, and equitable, the learnings from getting COVID-19 vaccines to emerging economies, a family story and plenty more.  Watch in full at this link: https://lnkd.in/eADMFJ_m  

Last week, CEPI was honoured to witness the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD launch the African Medicines Agency (AMA) in Mombasa during the Scientific Conference on Medicines Regulation in Africa (SCoMRA). The establishment of AMA marks a pivotal advance for the continent -- strengthening regulatory systems, accelerating access to medical countermeasures, and reinforcing outbreak preparedness. As part of the conference, CEPI co-hosted a tabletop exercise simulating the regulatory response to an emerging infectious disease. The session, facilitated by Jochen Auerbach and Jacqueline Acquah, brought together National Regulatory Authorities, regional bodies, and continental partners to test how collaboration and decision-making unfold during a public health emergency. Opening remarks were delivered by Adam Hacker (CEPI), Nancy Ngum (AUDA-NEPAD), and Anthony Martin Toroitich (Pharmacy and Poisons Board). The exercise offered a valuable opportunity to: 🔵 Assess current mechanisms for coordination and information-sharing among regulatory partners during outbreaks. 🔵 Support countries in reflecting on their regulatory emergency procedures. 🔵 Enhance approaches for benefit–risk assessment to inform emergency licensure pathways and guide rapid vaccine deployment. One of the key themes that emerged was the importance of coordinated, harmonised emergency pathways - linking AMA, regional bodies, and National Regulatory Authorities - supported by digital tools, strengthened capacity, and real-time safety data to speed evidence-based decisions and avoid duplication. CEPI remains committed to working with African partners, including the newly launched AMA, and global stakeholders to enhance regulatory agility and ensure equitable access to vaccines when the next outbreak strikes.