FEATURE

Partnering for a pandemic History has shown that collaborative efforts can have a crucial role in combating Credit: S.Fenwick/ viral outbreaks such as the current coronavirus pandemic. Springer Nature Limited

Raveena Bhambra

As coronavirus continues to spread, organizations around the Inovio Pharmaceuticals had started up vaccine development pro- world are working together to tackle the urgent needs for diagnos- grams, with these front-runners taking advantage of the rapidity tic, treatment and prevention strategies. In this article, we explore with which the underlying mRNA- or DNA-based platforms can the wave of partnerships that have been established to accelerate be used to identify vaccine candidates. They were soon joined by the development of vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19. others, ranging from universities and large pharma companies that are most active in the vaccine field in general, including Pandemic preparedness Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Pfizer and J&J. As of early May, In the past decade, the world has already faced two viral out- almost 100 vaccines were being developed (Nature 580, 576–577; breaks that have caught regions off guard. In 2014, the 2020), harnessing various platforms to design candidates, involv- virus surfaced in Western Africa. With an urgent need for infec- ing peptides, nucleic acids, virus-like particles, viral vectors, tion control, but no approved therapies or vaccines and only a recombinant protein, live attenuated virus and inactivated viruses handful of vaccine candidates available, partnering was a must. (Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 19, 305–306; 2020). A number of companies joined forces, including Johnson and Partnering has been crucial in tackling the challenges of highly Johnson (J&J), who partnered with Bavarian Nordic to develop novel vaccine discovery and development at such pace (Fig. 1). For a viral vector-based vaccine, and Merck & Co., who partnered example, Moderna—whose mRNA-based vaccine mRNA-1273 with Newlink Genetics to rapidly develop and test its recombi- targeting the viral spike protein was the first to enter clinical tri- nant vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV (BioPharma Dealmakers, B15–17, als in mid-March—was working on the candidate with the US June 2016). This candidate would eventually go all the way to be National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) just approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2019 as the 2 days after the virus sequence was released, and shortly after- first vaccine for Ebola. Now named Ervebo, it was already being wards received funding from CEPI to support its development. applied from 2018 in another Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Given the likely need for vast amounts of any successful vac- Republic of the Congo. cines, adjuvants that enhance vaccine immunogenicity and make Shortly after the Ebola epidemic, Zika virus began to spread lower doses viable will be important. So, with only a small number through South America in 2015. However, with relatively little of licensed adjuvants available, there has been a flurry of part- known about the virus, researchers didn’t have the head start they nerships around them. Two vaccine big hitters, Sanofi and GSK, had with Ebola—similar to the current situation with COVID-19. made headlines when they announced they would join forces. Again, organizations and pharma companies came together to Sanofi will contribute its spike protein antigen, which is based develop vaccines, and although the epidemic subsided by the end on recombinant DNA technology, while GSK will contribute of 2016, several vaccines have progressed into clinical trials, put- its adjuvant technology in the partnership. GSK and CEPI have ting potential responses to future outbreaks on stronger ground. established a collaboration to make GSK’s adjuvant platform avail- The responses to these two outbreaks highlighted the key need able to vaccine developers being funded by CEPI, and companies for coordination strategies and funding for efforts to combat including Dynavax and Seqirus are also committed to making future pandemics. Adding to established organizations such as licensed adjuvants available to vaccine developers. the European Innovative Medicines Initiative and the US Office Finally, the need for large-scale manufacturing of successful vac- of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority cines has generated deals. For example, in March, Pfizer expanded (BARDA), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and an existing 2018 influenza vaccine partnership with BioNTech Innovations (CEPI) was set up in 2017 specifically to coordinate to co-develop and manufacture BioNTech’s mRNA vaccines for the work of public, private, philanthropic and civil organizations COVID-19, which are notable in that the program for vaccine development to stop epidemics. And in the current is testing four vaccine candidates, with different combinations crisis, CEPI has a key role in mobilizing funding and coordinating of mRNA format and target antigen. And in April, AstraZeneca efforts for many organizations developing a COVID-19 vaccine. announced a partnership with the University of Oxford on the development, manufacture and distribution of their adenovirus- Partnering at pace based vaccine targeting the spike protein. Moderna followed suit Within days of the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the coro- by partnering with Lonza to enable the manufacturing of up to 1 navirus that causes COVID-19, being shared on 11 January 2020, billion doses per year of its vaccine if it is successful—underlining biotech companies including Moderna, BioNTech, CureVac and just how big a challenge counteracting COVID-19 has become.

B18 | June 2020 | biopharmadealmakers.nature.com FEATURE

23 January Moderna receives funding 31 January from CEPI to support CureVac collaborates with development of its vaccine, CEPI to take potential in partnership with the VRC vaccine candidates into of the NIAID, part of the NIH clinical testing 3 February Collaborating with CEPI, 11 February GSK makes its vaccine Janssen Pharmaceutical adjuvant platform Companies (part of J&J) technology available to partners with BARDA to 17 March CEPI-funded entities to accelerate its vaccine Pfizer to jointly develop a vaccine. program develop BioNTech’s 4 March mRNA-based vaccine candidate BNT162 7 February 24 February Using Arcturus LineaRx, Applied DNA Clover Biopharmaceuticals Therapeutics’ STARR Sciences subsidiary, will use GSK’s adjuvant technology, Duke–NUS 18 March collaborates with Takis technology to develop its Medical School partners Emergent BioSolutions Biotech to develop linear preclinical vaccine with Arcturus to develop announces DNA vaccine candidate candidate (COVID-19 a vaccine development and S-Trimer) manufacturing deal 13 March with Vaxart for their Janssen Pharmaceutical oral vaccine candidate Companies collaborates with the BIDMC to advance the development 27 March of a vaccine candidate Expanding 2018 mRNA vaccine deal, 3 April Sanofi Pasteur and Innovax Biotech partners 23 April 16 March Translate Bio develop with GSK to use their Janssen Pharmaceutical BioNTech partners with vaccine candidate adjuvant in preclinical Companies partners Fosun Pharma to conduct together testing of candidate with Emergent trials of its vaccine COVID-19 XWG-03 with BioSolutions for BNT162 in China Xiamen University manufacturing support 31 March of its lead vaccine VBI Vaccines candidate collaborates with the 14 April NRC to develop a Combining their pan-coronavirus innovative technologies, 30 April vaccine candidate Sanofi and GSK team up AstraZeneca teams up to develop an with the Jenner adjuvanted vaccine Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group at the 1 May University of Oxford to Moderna signs 10-year large-scale 16 April develop, manufacture manufacturing deal for its vaccine Dynavax provides its and distribute their candidate mRNA-1273 with Lonza adjuvant, CpG 1018, to vaccine candidate develop Sinovac’s ChAdOx1 11 May vaccine candidate. CEPI expands March 2020 deal with Novavax to accelerate development and manufacture of their NVX-CoV2373 candidate

Fig. 1 | The world’s most wanted vaccine. Selected biopharma partnering deals relating to the development, manufacture and distribution of a potential vaccine against COVID-19 in 2020. BARDA, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; BIDMC, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; CEPI, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; J&J, Johnson & Johnson; NIAID, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; NRC, National Research Council of Canada; VRC, Vaccine Research Center. Data taken up to 18th May 2020.

biopharmadealmakers.nature.com | June 2020 | B19