Serum - Protection from birth onwards
Brussels, Belgium and Pune, India
In a landmark collaboration announced today, Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has joined forces with Univercells, a Belgian biotech innovator, targeting a dramatic increase in accessibility to personalised cancer care. This partnership aims to bring cutting edge treatment options within reach of millions globally.
At present, personalised care options such as novel cancer vaccines and specialised immunotherapies are accessible to a few patients only. These new therapies are developed using genetic material extracted from the patient’s tumours, a process which is both time-consuming, and expensive. Besides, due to strict regulatory limitations on the sequence, transfer, and manufacturing of genetic material, these treatments are only available in a handful of countries. This collaboration between SII and Univercells will help in addressing these challenges, with a view to capture a proportion of the global cancer care market.
The collaboration between Univercells and SII will tackle all three problems with a view to capturing a proportion of the global cancer care market.
“We are excited about this collaboration with Univercells with an aim to strengthen the accessibility of cancer care therapies, which may prove to be a boon for cancer treatment across the world, especially in the LMIC’s,” said Dr. Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, R&D, SII. He further added, “Relapse rates for many cancers are very high, especially for patients who are diagnosed at a later stage. To address this, we are developing unique point-of-care cancer treatment using mRNA in combination with our Recombinant BCG (VPM1002).”
“Our technology can cut months off the time to create a personalised therapeutic without compromising quality.” said José Castillo, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Univercells. “We’ve completely redesigned the manufacturing process from first principles and believe that we can save up to 90% of costs of producing these medicines compared to traditional approaches.”
Critically, Univercells’ technology also supports very-small scale, local production. This allows countries, and even hospitals, to provide personalised therapies produced locally. As the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, SII has one of the largest footprints of any pharma company, with operations in dozens of countries. With SII’s global reach, these therapies can reach patients in Europe, India and the African continent.
Longer term, Univercells and SII believe that they may be able to dramatically accelerate the progress of new medicines. At present, the average time for a cancer therapy to go from patenting to use by patients is close to 15 years in the UK.
“Our target is to reduce that delay to just 3 years.” said José Castillo. “We have many barriers to overcome, but because we can automate the system, we believe we can produce personalised therapeutics which still meet the highest standards of quality and are acceptable to the regulators. There are breakthroughs all the time, but too many are coming too late for the patients who need them. This partnership will help us change that.
Media enquiries
Serum Institute of India
Mayank Sen
media.enquiries@seruminstitute.com
Univercells
Cécile Hisette
c.hisette@univercells.com
Univercells US
Beth Willers
b.willers@whitemattercomm.com
About the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd
Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd, is a global leader in vaccine manufacturing, dedicated to providing affordable vaccines worldwide. Present across 170+ countries, including the US, UK, and Europe, SII holds the distinction of being the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. SII's multifunctional production and one-of-the-largest facility in Manjri, Pune, with an annual capacity of 4 billion doses, has saved over 30 million lives over the years.
Founded in 1966, SII's primary mission is to produce life-saving immunobiological drugs, with a particular emphasis on affordability and accessibility. Guided by a strong commitment to improving global health, the company has played a pivotal role in reducing the prices of essential vaccines, such as Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, HIB, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. Notably, they are the manufacturers of 'Pneumosil,' the world's most affordable PCV, and the first indigenous qHPV vaccine in India. Moreover, SII has been at the forefront of the global fight against COVID-19, delivering over 2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.
To further expand its global presence and ensure widespread vaccine availability, SII has established Serum Life Sciences Ltd, a subsidiary in the UK. Through relentless pursuit of innovation, SII continues to champion the cause of affordable vaccines, making a positive impact on the lives of millions worldwide. www.seruminstitute.com
About Univercells
Univercells is a global life sciences company with the mission of making biologics accessible to all. Using our combined expertise in scaling, production, and bioprocessing, Univercells finds new and sustainable ways to widen access to life-changing drugs. Our affiliate companies deploy innovations in infrastructure, drug substance manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, equipment design, training, and on-the-ground health services to drive down costs, shrink manufacturing footprints and meet the needs of the entire health value chain. Headquartered in Jumet (Belgium), Univercells is supported by regional and national investors, as well as international investors active in vaccines and healthcare, such as the European Investment Bank and Global Health Investment Fund, among others. www.univercells.com