22 March 2019
Interview Prof Helen Mc Shane: A new TB vaccine is within reach
Prof Helen McShane recently was interviewed by Horizon Europe about the TB vaccine development and the growing optimism that a new vaccine will emerge. Please read the article ‘A new TB vaccine is within reach’.
22 January 2019
Alternative vaccination route protects against tuberculosis
A different approach to vaccination could stop hypersensitive rhesus monkeys from developing tuberculosis (TB). Researchers from the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) have demonstrated that administration of the existing BCG vaccine via the airways instead of the skin can protect against TB.
For more information, please use the link to the press release.
To read the publication, please use the link to Nature Medicine.
29 October 2018
Dr Cardona enters the RAED
Pere Joan Cardona, director of the Experimental Tuberculosis Unit of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, has entered the RAED, the Royal European Academy of Doctors. Please visit the website of RAED
17 September 2018
Key achievements TBVAC2020
The TBVAC2020 project contributes to the global TB vaccine pipeline and to the EU excellence by maintaining a consortium of more than 40 partners, by sharing publications and by knowledge exchange meetings. Please read the overview of achievements of the project up to 2018.
23 August 2018
TBVAC2020, EMI TB and StriTuVaD join forces in dissemination of R&D results
Three EU Horizon2020 projects – the TBVAC2020 consortium (project to diversify the current TB vaccine and biomarker pipeline), EMI-TB (Eliciting Mucosal Immunity in Tuberculosis) and STriTuVaD (In Silico Trial for Tuberculosis Vaccine Development) – have recently started exploring joint dissemination efforts for the 3 projects, supported by the European Commission’s Common Dissemination Booster programme. The projects anticipate that in reinforcing dissemination between the projects will increase the impact of the projects’ results in the field and in society.
The projects will jointly publish updates as they arise. For more information please read the article.
22 June 2018
Speeding up the search for tuberculosis vaccines
On a regular basis EC highlights a project funded by the EC that has proven to be successful. TBVAC2020 is one of these success stories. TBVAC2020 aims to end tuberculosis by identifying potential new vaccines to save lives, stem the spread of infection and shorten treatment for the deadly disease. The project is part of the EU’s contribution to global efforts to end TB.
Please read the article at the EC website
10th October 2017
H2020 project TBVAC2020 coordinated by TBVI is working towards a novel #tuberculosis vaccine – follow their progress: https://twitter.com/EU_H2020/status/917372786317889538
‘TBVAC2020 a success story’; please download the EU factsheet on the fight against Tuberculosis.
May 2017, the TBVAC2020 project conducted a mid-term impact review resulting in an overview of the key achievements of the project after the first two years. It shows that the investments of the European Commission in the project have already had and will continue to have a substantial impact on the Global TB vaccine pipeline and contribute to EU excellent in TB vaccine R&D.
21st march 2016, an article was published about the first TBVAC2020 project meeting (Les Diablerets, Switzerland), which provided the first results of R&D activities, including vaccine discovery and biomarkers of immunity and protection.
April 2015, an article was published about the launch of the TBVAC2020 project in Issue 6 of the Horizon2020 Projects Portal (page 190)
January 2015, an article was published about TBVI being awarded a €24m EC grant to progress the TBVAC2020 project.
Opinion article in The Hindu
On the 21st of February, 2016, the following opinion article was published in The Hindu: Revamped, safer, and with greater punch.
All eyes are on a new BCG-based TB vaccine, VPM1002, which has shown promise in animal and small-scale human trials. It is to be supplied by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India.
The article includes quotes from Professor dr dr h.c. Stefan Kaufmann of the TBVAC2020 partner Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
Annual meeting TBVAC2020
The first annual meeting of the TBVAC2020 project was held from 1-5 Frebruary 2016 in Les Diablerets, Switzerland. This meeting was for TBVAC2020 project members only. The programme also included the symposium ‘TB Vaccines and Immunity’, open for everyone.
The programme of the (closed) annual meeting can be viewed here.
Read the summary of the meeting.
February 1, 2016: Tuberculosis: discovery of a critical stage in the evolution of the bacillus towards pathogenicity
Read the press release of our partners Institut Pasteur and CNRS.
January 14, 2016: Zaragoza scientist from TBVI network awarded
Read the message about Nacho Aguilo from our partner University of Zaragoza.
Calls for applications of preclinical models – TBVAC2020
Please note: this call is for TBVAC2020 project members only
Progression of TB vaccines through the discovery, pre-clinical and clinical stages of development requires demonstration of safety, immunogenicity and the ability to reduce or prevent TB disease. This is achieved by testing vaccine candidates in preclinical models. TBVAC2020 uses standardised, head-to-head models for the screening of promising vaccine candidates in independent laboratories. The evaluation in these head-to-head models will support the pre-clinical development activities of the project and will assist in decision making in portfolio management using predefined, objective gating and priority setting criteria (WP6). These standardised models and established/accepted read-outs will provide evidence of safety, immunogenicity and/or protective efficacy of new vaccine candidates.
During the course of the TBVAC2020 project, several calls for applications will be sent out to the partners of the project. The project partners will be invited to submit their proposals for evaluating their vaccine candidates in the following models:
Model A: Adjuvanted vaccines head to head comparison
Model B: Mouse model for protective efficacy against clinical (Beijing) strains of M.tb.
Model C: Guinea pig model for protective efficacy.
Model D: Mouse model for efficacy testing of post-exposure vaccination.
Model E: SCID mouse model for safety of live vaccines.
Model F: Standard immune competent mouse model for protective efficacy
Model G: GMP, adjuvant and formulation studies
Model H: Comparative phase 1 clinical trial
The first call was sent out in March 2015, the second on 10 September 2015. Upcoming calls are expected in March and September 2016 and a final call in March 2017.
TBVI’s portfolio management committee evaluates the applications and prioritises according to the criteria indicated in the call texts. For more information please contact Daniëlle Roordink TBVI project manager.