PRESS RELEASE
Inventprise Inaugurates Manufacturing Facility for High-Capacity Supply of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines
Highly automated manufacturing facility is expected to provide lifesaving vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, with additional supply to meet global demand
Redmond, WA (May 10, 2022) – Inventprise, a biotechnology company specializing in novel, affordable and impactful vaccines, today announced the inauguration of its new manufacturing facility for high-capacity supply of a 25-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (IVT-PCV-25) for low- and middle-income countries. Bill Gates joined Inventprise leaders and employees to tour the new facility and deliver remarks at the inauguration ceremony.
The highly automated facility, supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will produce drug product used in IVT-PCV-25. Production is expected to reach tens of millions of doses in the coming years in anticipation of completion of later stage clinical trials and application for WHO prequalification. The facility also has the capability to meet additional global demand for the vaccine outside of low-and-middle-income countries. The site will support continuous manufacturing, with highly sophisticated instruments monitoring the manufacturing processes to ensure the vaccine components meet stringent regulatory standards.
“Pneumonia is the leading killer of children worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries where access to lifesaving vaccines is still far too limited,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “The opening of Inventprise’s new facility marks an important step forward in increasing the supply of affordable vaccines.”
Dr. Subhash Kapre, Executive Chairman, Inventprise commented, “Today is an exceptional day for innovative vaccine development, because we have invented a broadly protective vaccine candidate which has the potential to be available first for the most vulnerable populations in the poorest countries and at an uncompromised level of quality. “Yves Leurquin, Inventprise CEO, added to Dr. Kapre’s statement, “This plant has a capacity that is high enough to make the vaccine available on a broader global basis as well. This is reversing the usual vaccine development path, where vaccines are first launched in high income countries and later, made available to low- and middle-income countries. “
About IVT-PCV-25
IVT-PCV-25 is an investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine being developed by Inventprise, in collaboration with non-profit global health organization PATH. The vaccine utilizes a proprietary platform to protect against some of the deadliest and emerging strains of pneumococcal disease seen globally especially in vulnerable pediatric populations, many who reside in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the introduction of PCV vaccines in many countries worldwide, Pneumococcal disease is a leading cause of severe childhood pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, killing approximately 300,000 children before age 5 per year worldwide.