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Serum Institute of India (SII)
In the latest outbreak, more than 610 cases of Rift Valley fever have been reported in Senegal and Mauritania, with 47 reported deaths. The mosquito-borne viral disease primarily affects livestock but can also cause serious illness in people, particularly through contact with infected animals or mosquito bites. While many infections are mild, severe cases can result in brain inflammation and bleeding and can be fatal. Outbreaks have significant economic consequences for pastoral communities, where infection in animals can lead to major livestock and income losses.
The licensing agreement covers ChAdOx1 RVF, a vaccine candidate developed by researchers in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford. The agreement, supported by the epidemic preparedness organisation CEPI and Oxford University Innovation, allows SII to manufacture up to 100,000 doses of the investigational vaccine for use in clinical studies during the current outbreak and in future emergencies.
An initial 10,000 doses are intended for a potential clinical trial to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in outbreak-affected areas. The remaining doses will be held as an investigational reserve to support further clinical testing.
For researchers involved in the work, the agreement marks a transition from laboratory research to potential real-world use. Professor George Warimwe, who leads the Rift Valley fever vaccine programme in Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine, said: “Rift Valley fever is a devastating and often forgotten disease, affecting the lives and livelihoods of communities in many parts of Africa. It means a great deal to know that our research can now move beyond the lab and towards helping people directly.”
Manufacturing has already begun. SII has filled and labelled 12,000 vials of the vaccine within 16 days of receiving the essential ingredients, demonstrating the speed at which investigational doses can be produced in response to an active outbreak. Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director at the Serum Institute of India, said: “Producing these doses at speed is a necessary step to ensure that vaccine candidates like ChAdOx1 RVF can be delivered when and where they’re most needed.”
CEPI is providing up to US$3.5 million to support the development and manufacture of the doses and the creation of the investigational reserve. Its Chief Executive, Richard Hatchett, said the work reflects the need to act quickly against fast-spreading viruses by making vaccine candidates available for testing within weeks rather than months.
Oxford University Innovation supported the licensing process. According to Dr Matt Carpenter, Deputy Head of Licensing and Ventures for Life Sciences, swift action was required to put the agreement in place during an ongoing outbreak.
The vaccine candidate is among the most advanced in development for Rift Valley fever. Data from forthcoming trials could add to research already under way in Kenya and represent a further step towards the first licensed human vaccine against this devastating disease.