Aeras and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Partner to Advance Vaccine Research

Partnership to accelerate development of vaccines against the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, tuberculosis and HIV

July 17, 2012—New York, New York and Rockville, MD— Aeras and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) are pleased to announce the expansion of their existing partnership through a formal collaboration agreement. The two nonprofit organizations, which focus on tuberculosis (TB) vaccine and HIV vaccine development respectively, have worked together since 2008 to share best practices and collaborate in certain pre-clinical manufacturing activities. This expanded partnership will provide a broader framework for sharing knowledge and resources across the clinical trials networks of both organizations, developing joint training programs, increasing coordination and collaboration within vaccine R&D and manufacturing efforts, and sharing specific common support services.

HIV and TB are the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, taking the lives of thousands of people each day, and costing the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year. The two diseases often work in deadly combination, with nearly one in four people with HIV dying from TB. Today, TB is getting harder to treat due to the rise of drug-resistant disease, with total costs estimated at $12,500 per patient in the highest burden countries and $250,000 per patient in the U.S.

“Combined with existing control measures, vaccines would be the single most cost-effective intervention and hold the greatest promise to eliminate these diseases,” said Aeras President and CEO Jim Connolly. “Aeras is pleased to partner with IAVI, a highly capable organization that will add to our existing knowledge and competencies and help us more rapidly develop effective TB vaccines.”

In recent months, IAVI and Aeras have explored potential areas of synergy and efficiency, and have identified a broad list of both technical and non-technical opportunities for collaboration. Such opportunities include sharing clinical research center capacity to facilitate the conduct of early-phase clinical trials, as well as leveraging each organization’s expertise for the design and production of vaccine candidates for both HIV and TB. The organizations also plan to cultivate opportunities to share best business practices and common support services.

“IAVI is delighted to expand its partnership with Aeras in order to use valuable donor resources more effectively,” said Margaret McGlynn, President and CEO of IAVI. “Aeras shares many of the same technical and resource challenges and has complementary scientific and product development expertise that can be of great value to IAVI. In the big picture, this collaboration will support both organizations’ efforts to more effectively and efficiently develop an HIV vaccine and a TB vaccine to prevent devastating infections that disproportionately impact the developing world.”

About Aeras
Aeras is the world’s largest and only fully integrated tuberculosis vaccine development organization dedicated to addressing a disease that has chronically infected almost a third of the world’s population. In collaboration with global partners in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe, Aeras is supporting the clinical testing of six vaccine candidates as well as a robust portfolio of preclinical candidates. Aeras receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private foundations as well as a wide range of governments. Aeras is based in Rockville, Maryland, USA where it operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing and laboratory facility, and Cape Town, South Africa. For more information, see www.aeras.org. 

About IAVI 
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world. Founded in 1996, IAVI works with partners in 25 countries to research, design and develop AIDS vaccine candidates. In addition, IAVI conducts policy analyses and serves as an advocate for the AIDS vaccine field. IAVI supports a comprehensive approach to addressing HIV and AIDS that balances the expansion and strengthening of existing HIV-prevention and treatment programs with targeted investments in the design and development of new tools to prevent HIV. IAVI is dedicated to ensuring that a future AIDS vaccine will be available and accessible to all who need it. IAVI relies on the generous donations from governments, private individuals, corporations and foundations to carry out its mission. For more information, see www.iavi.org.

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Contact:

IAVI:
Lauren Wesolowski
Associate, Communications
Office: +1-212-328-7420
lwesolowski@iavi.org

Aeras:
Jamie Rosen
Media & Communications Manager
Office: +1-301-547-2853
jrosen@aeras.org