PNEUMOALERT
BULLETIN OF GAVI'S PNEUMOADIP AT JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
PNEUMOADIP: PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINES ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION PLAN
Statement from PneumoADIP: April 4, 2006
PneumoADIP hails new funding
for vaccine development |
| Baltimore, USA; April 4, 2006 – PneumoADIP welcomes the announcement of a $75million grant to PATH to accelerate the development of pneumococcal protein vaccines. “This funding sends a strong signal about the seriousness and magnitude of pneumococcal disease. Up to one million children under the age of 5 are dying annually from pneumococcal disease. Of those deaths, 90% take place in the developing world. More funding for vaccine development can only help us bring new tools into the fight against pneumococcal disease,” said Dr. Orin Levine, executive director of GAVI’s PneumoADIP. Currently there is just one vaccine licensed, the seven-valent pneumococcal vaccine that is produced by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. A second vaccine containing 10 serotypes is expected to be licensed in 2008, and more than 20 vaccine candidates are in the pipeline. If successfully developed, a pneumococcal protein vaccine has the potential to protect against most or all of the disease causing serotypes of the pneumococcus. “We applaud the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for this generous and ambitious commitment to pneumococcal vaccines. GAVI’s PneumoADIP looks forward to collaborating with PATH on our shared vision of preventing pneumococcal disease everywhere with new vaccines,” said Dr. Levine. “For three years PneumoADIP has laid the foundation for the accelerated introduction of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines. Introduction now with existing conjugate vaccines is the essential first step and can save hundreds of thousands of children’s lives. The Gates Foundation’s grant to PATH for development of vaccines that extend the protection to all pneumococcal infections will help us extend that protection from 2015 onwards,” he said. |
| Pneumococcal Vaccines Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan (PneumoADIP) PneumoADIP is a small, dedicated team based at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is supported by a $30 million grant from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. PneumoADIP’s mission is to improve child survival and health by accelerating the evaluation of and access to new, lifesaving pneumococcal vaccines for the world's children. PneumoADIP aims to achieve its goals through partnerships with countries, donors, academia, international organizations and industry. PneumoADIP coordinates its activities through a strategic alliance with the World Health Organization. Please also visit the following website for further information and to view press materials: www.preventpneumo.org For more information, please contact: Hans Kvist, Communications Director Direct Tel: +1 410 736 8243 Email: hkvist@jhsph.edu |