The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) has published “Vaccine process technology—a decade of progress” in Biotechnology and Bioengineering. The paper serves as an update to a 2012 review titled “Vaccine process technology” authored by NIIMBL Executive Director Barry Buckland and explores transformations in vaccine development over the past decade.
Since 2012, the industry has seen advancements in DNA and RNA vaccine technologies, including the approval of 10 new viral vector and two new mRNA lipid nanoparticle vaccines. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated advancements for mRNA vaccines. Unlike traditional vaccines such as those which contain a weakened form of the target virus to trigger an immune response, or a surface protein, DNA and RNA vaccines carry instructions for cells to produce antigens. The review discusses the many innovations over the past 10 years in microbial fermentations, cell culture, cell-free systems, formulation, purification, stability, analytics, and changes in the regulatory landscape.
“The past 10 years have been a transformative time for vaccine development and production,” said Barry Buckland, NIIMBL Executive Director. “These advancements and continued progress over the next decade will allow the industry to bring new vaccines to the market to prevent many conditions. Progress in analytical characterization has been enabling these improvements.”
Since its launch in 2017, NIIMBL has invested in a portfolio of over 40 vaccine-focused collaborative projects, including the development of testbeds, formulation, stability, and analytics.
“It’s been exciting to work with our community of industry, academic, nonprofit and government partners to contribute to the innovations happening within the vaccines space,” said Kelvin Lee, NIIMBL Institute Director. “We are looking forward to more contributions in the years to come.”
Read “Vaccine process technology—a decade of progress” in Biotechnology and Bioengineering.