Article published on the CEPI website on March 03, 2022
OSLO, Norway, 8 March 2022: The global community today came together to commit to the 100 Days Mission – the ambition to have safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of an epidemic or pandemic threat being identified – and pledged $1.535 billion to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to help kick start the organization’s ambitious plan to tackle epidemics and pandemics, potentially saving millions of lives and trillions of dollars in lost economic output.
The pledges of political and financial support were made at the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit, co-hosted by the UK Government, in London on 7-8 March 2022. Representatives from over 20 countries joined leaders from international agencies, science and academia, industry, philanthropy, and civil society to galvanize action around pandemic preparedness, and build momentum for the fundraising effort for CEPI’s five-year plan.
GLOBAL FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS
The UK Government pledged £160 million (US$211 million) to CEPI. Other top donors included the governments of Japan, Norway, USA, Germany, Australia, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome. G20 President Indonesia reaffirmed its support for CEPI with a pledge of $5m. Additional pledges were made at the Summit, and further commitments and donations are expected to follow in the coming months.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:
“This summit shows what can be achieved when countries work together, I welcome the news we have raised over $1.5 billion to help cut vaccine development times and boost vaccine manufacturing around the world.
“This will fund work to save millions of lives, prevent trillions of pounds in economic damage and ensure the world comes out of this pandemic stronger for the future.”
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said:
“The pandemic has shown the importance of countries coming together to respond to and protect us all from threats to global public health.
“The UK’s ground-breaking science and research has led the way on life-saving vaccines and treatments, which are helping us learn to live with Covid. Our £160m million pledge will support CEPI’s vital work to cut the development time for safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to 100 days, potentially saving millions of lives and protecting us from future threats.”
The funds raised so far put CEPI on the path to raising the $3.5 billion it needs over the next five years to fund its pandemic-busting plan. CEPI’s plan will reduce the risk posed by epidemics and pandemics by developing vaccines for known disease threats (such as Lassa fever, MERS and Nipah virus), and build on the scientific advances made during COVID-19 to prepare in advance for ‘Disease X’- the threat of an unknown pathogen with pandemic potential. The funding committed today will also bolster CEPI’s work to develop the next generation of globally accessible COVID-19 vaccines, including ‘variant-proof’ COVID-19 vaccines, as well as vaccines that provide broad protection against all Betacoronaviruses.
Central to the plan is CEPI’s ambition – supported by the G7 and G20 – to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against emerging diseases to as little as 100 days. Achieving the 100 Days Mission would give the world a fighting chance of tackling and containing outbreaks close to the source in future, before they spread around the world and become pandemics.
His Excellency Budi G. Sadikin, Minister of Health of Indonesia (Holder of the 2022 G20 Presidency), said:
“Thanks to CEPI, Gavi, WHO and UNICEF, we managed to deliver more than 353 million vaccines to over 192 million Indonesians in 13 months. That’s why we believe that we have to work together, and Indonesia is ready to commit to CEPI. Our commitment to the greater good, to leaving no one behind, and to better preparing the world against the next pandemic begins now.”
State Secretary Judith Pirscher, Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (Holder of the 2022 G7 Presidency), said:
“The still-ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically highlighted to all of us the relevance of CEPI’s mission. CEPI’s results in these difficult times are remarkable and the vaccines supported by CEPI are making a significant contribution to saving millions of people worldwide from Covid-19 and the severe symptoms of the disease through vaccination. Germany is one of the founding members of CEPI – with conviction, we have supported the valuable mission of this initiative from the very beginning.”
Julia Gilliard, Chair of Wellcome, said:
“Science has shown us how much we can achieve when we work together; but we cannot stop here; the pandemic is not over, and we must prepare for future pandemics.
“Today’s financial commitments are an important step forward and could not come soon enough. Over the coming months, we need governments to dig deep and ensure that CEPI has the full $3.5bn it is seeking, otherwise we will not be ready to tackle the future pandemics that we will inevitably face. The time for action is now.”
Trevor Mundel, President, Global Heath, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said:
“When the proposal for CEPI was put forward in 2017 we immediately recognised that it was an answer to a serious gap in the international architecture. Vaccines are often the only sustainable public health intervention to stop pandemics. Therefore it is the actual development of those vaccines that is at the very heart of equity.
“We support CEPI because a core part of its mission is an unshakeable commitment to equitable access to vaccines so that all people, no matter where they live, are protected from new and emerging diseases. And a recognition that early investment in research and development before a pandemic emerges saves lives. The investments CEPI made in COVID-19 vaccines, has certainly demonstrated that.”
A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO ACHIEVE THE 100-DAY MISSION AND STRENGTHEN PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS WITH EQUITY AT ITS HEART
The Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit marks a landmark moment in the global community’s collective efforts to build a world that is better prepared to respond to epidemic and pandemic threats. Leading figures came together to share their insights and perspectives on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases such as Ebola and Lassa fever, to celebrate the innovations developed in response to the pandemic, to highlight the importance of access-focused R&D as a cornerstone of global health security, and to explore how to boost vaccine manufacturing across the world.
In addition to the funding pledged by investors, several important developments were announced on the day of the Summit which will contribute to CEPI’s plan to advance global pandemic preparedness and response:
– The UK Government, CEPI and representatives of the life sciences industry published a joint statement outlining their collective commitment to delivering on the 100 Days Mission
– UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed a new partnership between CEPI and Cambridge, UK based company DioSynVax to develop a new vaccine that could provide protection against a broad range of coronaviruses. CEPI will invest up to £31m ($42m) to support the development of the vaccine. This is the 7th award made by CEPI in pursuit of a broadly protective coronavirus vaccine
– CEPI and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) – the two leading global funders of research into broadly protective coronavirus vaccines – will collaborate to establish a joint scientific forum for awardees who are developing pan-coronavirus vaccines to share scientific progress and challenges, with the aim of accelerating their progress. Eminent global vaccine experts Dr Barney Graham and Dr Peter Paradiso will serve as co-chairs of the first in its kind collaboration between the two organizations.
– CEPI and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), a specialized technical institute of Rwanda, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize a collaboration which aims to improve and accelerate vaccine research, development, and manufacturing in Rwanda. The MoU was signed while the Honourable Dr Daniel Ngamije Minister of Health for Rwanda was attending the Summit.
– Moderna announced its global health strategy, including a commitment to advance vaccines targeting 15 pathogens identified as the biggest public health risk by WHO and CEPI into clinical studies by 2025
– Aspen Pharmacare announced a landmark agreement with Johnson & Johnson to manufacture and make available a COVID-19 vaccine throughout Africa.
Dr Tedros Adhanom, Director General, World Health Organization, said:
“COVID-19 will not be the last Disease X. Epidemics and pandemics are a fact of nature, exacerbated in our time by urbanization, encroachment on habitats, the climate crisis, and insecurity. It is clear that we need to strengthen efforts to develop, evaluate and distribute vaccines, tests and treatments as rapidly and equitably as possible when a new pathogen emerges. That is why I welcome CEPI’s 100 Days Mission, and urge donors to fully fund CEPI’s US$3.5bn investment case.
“There is now a strong global consensus on the need for an enhanced global health architecture for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, with an empowered and sustainably financed WHO at its core, playing the leading, coordinating and normative role on which so many countries and partners depend.
“And it’s clear that a fully funded CEPI, working closely with WHO and other partners, must be part of it. A commitment to CEPI is a commitment to science; a commitment to equity; and a commitment to partnership. I look forward to our continued partnership as we work together for a healthier, safer, fairer future.”
António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, said:
“The world needs a global pandemic preparedness system that addresses problems before they turn into catastrophes. By scaling-up investments in better monitoring, early detection and rapid response plans in every country — especially the most vulnerable. By strengthening primary health care and achieving universal health coverage. By ensuring equitable access and distribution of lifesaving interventions like vaccines for all. And by building on unprecedented and remarkable scientific progress.
“I once again salute the hard work and dedication of scientists and researchers around the world, and multilateral efforts, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.”
Stephen Saad, CEO of Aspen Pharmacare, said:
“Aspen Pharmacare wishes to commend CEPI and the various partner institutions on a successful Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit in London earlier today. The Summit coincided with an important announcement for the African continent as Aspen Pharmacare and Johnson & Johnson announced a landmark agreement that will enable Aspen to manufacture and supply its own vaccine, which will be Africa’s first COVID vaccine for the continent. This has been achieved through tremendous teamwork and collaboration between Aspen and Johnson & Johnson and many other partner organisations, including the WHO, the WTO, the AU, Africa CDC, AVDA, CEPI and GAVI all of whom are represented here today.
“Africa has a COVID vaccination rate of just 17% and much work remains to be done if we are to truly embrace the global commitment that we are not safe until we are all safe. With the Aspen-produced COVID vaccine it is our intention to build off this base and to contribute to providing equitable access to the COVID vaccine on the African continent.”
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said:
“Today’s Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit represents an important moment for the global health community to come together to meet the challenges of this and future pandemics. We are extremely grateful to our investors, supporters and partners for their visionary contribution to CEPI’s work.
“For the first time in history, we have the tools we need to eliminate the risk of future pandemics. It is vital that we capitalise on the scientific developments we’ve seen over the last two years and seize the rare alignment of political will, practical experience, and technical and scientific progress emerging from the pandemic to prevent such devastation happening again. The support and funding pledged today will kick-start CEPI’s plan to end pandemics. This is the start of an incredibly important journey.”
–ENDS–
Notes to Editors
CEPI’s 5-year plan and investment case is available at http://www.endpandemics.cepi.net
The full list of financial pledges to date to CEPI’s 5-year plan is as follows:
All values in US$ at current exchange rates, rounded to the nearest $ million.
Total pledged so far: $1.535 billion
Downpayments in 2021: $236m
Australia: $74m
Austria: $5m
Finland: $7m
Germany: $87m
Italy: $22m
Indonesia: $5m
Japan: $300m
Mexico: $1m
New Zealand: $7m
Norway: $111m
Singapore: $15m
UK: $211m
USA: $150m
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: $154m
Wellcome: $150m
About CEPI
CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines against future epidemics. Prior to COVID-19, CEPI’s work focused on developing vaccines against the Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever virus and Chikungunya virus. It has over 20 vaccine candidates against these pathogens in development. CEPI has also invested in new platform technologies for rapid vaccine development against unknown pathogens (Disease X).
During the current pandemic, CEPI initiated multiple programmes to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants with a focus on speed, scale and access. These programmes leverage the rapid response platforms developed by CEPI’s partners prior to the emergence of COVID-19, as well as new collaborations. The aim is to advance clinical development of a diverse portfolio of safe and effective COVID-19 candidates and to enable fair allocation of these vaccines worldwide through COVAX.
CEPI’s 5-year plan lays out a $3.5 billion roadmap to compress vaccine development timelines to 100 days, develop a broadly protective vaccine against COVID-19 and other Betacoronaviruses, and create a “library” of vaccine candidates for use against known and unknown pathogens.
The plan is available at http://www.endpandemics.cepi.net.
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