Supporting vaccine community with adjuvant and formulation expertise

VFI supports research on adjuvants and vaccine formulation

Adjuvants have been used for more than a century to boost the efficiency of vaccines, allowing increased immunogenicity and dose-sparing (i.e. the achievement of similar immunogenicity using reduced amounts of vaccine antigen).

VFI supports academic partners in their research on vaccines, adjuvants and vaccine formulation by providing adjuvants at preclinical grade, and by designing and performing research studies with its partners. VFI regularly co-authors publications resulting from collaborative work with academic partners.

VFI is also a member of numerous international consortia aiming at accelerating the development of human and veterinary vaccines, including EU-funded TRANSVAC, OPTIMALVAX, EHVA, ENOVA.

VFI is part of a network of experts and collaborators

Active

ISIDORe

“Integrated Services for Infectious Disease Outbreak Research” is an EU-funded large-scale project which assembles an unprecedented One Health-driven, integrated portfolio of cutting-edge research services and resources, dedicated to the study of epidemic-prone diseases including SARS-CoV-2 variants.

ISIDORe

VFI provides support on adjuvant development, non-GLP in vivo studies, technology transfer of adjuvants and provision of GMP adjuvant for use in clinical studies.
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BAXERNA

BAXERNA aims to develop the next-generation mRNA vaccines against bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium ulcerans, and Acinetobacter baumannii.

BAXERNA

BAXERNA is a collaborative project on novel mRNA-based bacterial vaccine development, funded by the European Commission (EU’s Horizon Europe) and the Swiss government (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation). In this project VFI will develop analytical methods for various lipid-based mRNA formulations, and characterize their physicochemical properties, composition, and stability.
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Past

Reference:
Schijns, V. et al. Modulation of immune responses using adjuvants to facilitate therapeutic vaccination. Immunol Rev 296, 169–190 (2020) and Lemoine, C. et al. Technological Approaches for Improving Vaccination Compliance and Coverage. Vaccines 8, 304 (2020)

TRANSVAC

TRANSVAC is an EU-funded project aiming at developing a sustainable vaccine infrastructure for Europe.

TRANSVAC

VFI coordinates TRANSVAC activities and provides training as well as adjuvant and formulation services.
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Reference:
Geels, M. J. et al. TRANSVAC research infrastructure – Results and lessons learned from the European network of vaccine research and development. Vaccine 33, 5481–5487 (2015)

Academic collaborations
University of Queensland, Australia

Rivera-Hernandez et al. (2020). Vaccine-Induced Th1-Type Response Protects against Invasive Group A Streptococcus Infection in the Absence of Opsonizing Antibodies. mBio (accepted)

Université Paris-Saclay / INRA, France
Bernelin-Cottet et al. (2019). Electroporation of a nanoparticle-associated DNA vaccine induces higher inflammation and immunity compared to its delivery with microneedle patches in pigs. J Control Release. 2019 Aug 28;308:14-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.06.041. Epub 2019 Jun 29.PMID: 31265882 
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Techawiwattanaboon et al. (2019). Reduced Renal Colonization and Enhanced Protection by Leptospiral Factor H Binding Proteins as a Multisubunit Vaccine Against Leptospirosis in Hamsters. Vaccines (Basel). 2019 Aug 22;7(3):95. doi: 10.3390/vaccines7030095. PMID: 31443566
University of Washington, USA

Marcandalli J et al. (2019). Induction of Potent Neutralizing Antibody Responses by a Designed Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Cell. 2019 Mar 7;176(6):1420-1431.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.01.046. PubMed PMID: 30849373.

University of Oxford, Jenner Institute, United Kingdom

Wang C et al. (2018). A simian-adenovirus-vectored rabies vaccine suitable for thermostabilisation and clinical development for low-cost single-dose pre-exposure prophylaxis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Oct 29;12(10):e0006870.

University of Geneva, Switzerland

Poecheim, J. et al. (2016). Ag85A DNA Vaccine Delivery by Nanoparticles: Influence of the Formulation Characteristics on Immune Responses. Vaccines 2016, 4, 32.

Leiden University, The Netherlands
Varypataki E.M. et al. (2016). Synthetic long peptide-based vaccine formulations for induction of cell mediated immunity: A comparative study of cationic liposomes and PLGA nanoparticles. Journal of Controlled Release. 2016 Mar 28;226:98-106.

Activities

VFI can provide a range of adjuvants based on oil-in-water emulsions, liposomes, or mineral salts, suitable for preclinical and clinical use. Provision of VFI’s adjuvants is accompanied by advice and guidance on how to formulate and evaluate them.

Details on the adjuvants can be found in the NIH Vaccine Adjuvant Compendium:

Sepivac SWE (VO_0005388)

SQ (VO_0005389)

LQ (VO_0005390)

LMQ (VO_0005392)

VFI can provide a range of adjuvants based on oil-in-water emulsions, liposomes, or mineral salts, suitable for preclinical use. Provision of VFI’s adjuvants is accompanied by advice and guidance on how to formulate and evaluate them.

VFI can evaluate and optimise adjuvanted vaccine formulations to improve formulation stability and the quality of immune responses induced by vaccine candidates. 

This can include: 

  • Formulation of antigens in combination with various adjuvant systems under different experimental conditions
  • Assessment of the compatibility and stability of vaccine formulations, and evaluation of their physical, chemical, and biological properties
  • Development of analytical techniques relating to antigen characterization in the formulation, including but not restricted to adsorption or encapsulation rates, antigen integrity/stability evaluation, detection and quantification of adjuvants, loading rate in vaccine delivery systems, physico-chemical properties, particle-size evaluation, formulation quality control
  • Support of partners with the preclinical and clinical development of their adjuvanted vaccine candidates
  • Evaluation of the immunogenicity parameters in immunogenicity studies in vivo

VFI can assist with adjuvant manufacturing and quality control. Assays, technology, and equipment can be transferred to manufacturers, followed up by installation and training at VFI or on-site where needed.

VFI can run both theoretical and practical training courses on adjuvants and vaccine formulation. Both types of course are organized on a regular basis, but courses can also be customized upon request.

Contact us to discuss how we can assist you