Meeting the UK demand for COVID19/SARS-CoV-2 vaccines via integrated manufacturing and supply chain optimisation
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
With the world's exit strategy from the current Covid-19 pandemic dependent on developing herd immunity through mass vaccination, there is imminent need to develop a roadmap for vaccine rapid manufacture and distribution at unprecedented scale. We seek funding to develop a blueprint for ramping up production, distribution and administration of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines based on a stratified vaccination strategy that starts with front-line personnel all the way to mass vaccination of the general UK population.
To do this, we will combine process modelling with supply-chain optimisation to ensure (a) drug product and final drug substance availability, and (b) that production goes hand-in-hand with immediate availability for progressively larger parts of the population.
Our models will be open-source and publicly available, and they will subsequently be extended to describe European manufacturing capabilities and vaccination campaigns. We are members of both the UCL-Oxford VaxHub and Imperial's Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub (FVMH) and have had early access to data for the viral vector vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute and the saRNA vaccine developed by the Shattock group. As such,we have already developed manufacturing models and have been working on optimisation and scaling up strategies.
With these two technologies being the global frontrunners in the race to clinical trials (e.g. Moderna in the USA is in Phase I clinical trials, NCT04283461 and Curevac in Germany is aiming to enter clinical trials in early summer 2020), our models will be applicable to any of these vaccines that receive regulatory approval.
To do this, we will combine process modelling with supply-chain optimisation to ensure (a) drug product and final drug substance availability, and (b) that production goes hand-in-hand with immediate availability for progressively larger parts of the population.
Our models will be open-source and publicly available, and they will subsequently be extended to describe European manufacturing capabilities and vaccination campaigns. We are members of both the UCL-Oxford VaxHub and Imperial's Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub (FVMH) and have had early access to data for the viral vector vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute and the saRNA vaccine developed by the Shattock group. As such,we have already developed manufacturing models and have been working on optimisation and scaling up strategies.
With these two technologies being the global frontrunners in the race to clinical trials (e.g. Moderna in the USA is in Phase I clinical trials, NCT04283461 and Curevac in Germany is aiming to enter clinical trials in early summer 2020), our models will be applicable to any of these vaccines that receive regulatory approval.
Publications
Amiri Souri E
(2022)
Novel drug-target interactions via link prediction and network embedding
in BMC Bioinformatics
Daniel S
(2022)
Quality by Design for enabling RNA platform production processes.
in Trends in biotechnology
Kis Z
(2022)
Stability Modelling of mRNA Vaccine Quality Based on Temperature Monitoring throughout the Distribution Chain
in Pharmaceutics
Kis Z
(2022)
Pandemic-response adenoviral vector and RNA vaccine manufacturing.
in NPJ vaccines
Li Y
(2024)
Optimisation-based modelling for explainable lead discovery in malaria.
in Artificial intelligence in medicine
Van De Berg D
(2021)
Quality by design modelling to support rapid RNA vaccine production against emerging infectious diseases.
in NPJ vaccines
Description | We have demonstrated what it would take to achieve 500,000 Covid vaccinations daily |
Exploitation Route | They can be used for other countries |
Sectors | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | They have been used to inform an important DELVE report, as well as to support vaccine development roadmaps. |
First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
Sector | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Description | Production and launch of DELVE report |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Impact | Provided guidance about vaccine manufacturing and roll-out for Covid |
URL | https://rs-delve.github.io/reports/2020/10/01/covid19-vaccination-report.html |
Description | Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub |
Amount | £10,000,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Department of Health (DH) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2023 |
End | 08/2028 |
Title | Vaccine supply chain model |
Description | Optimisation model which is able to plan the operations of a national or international vaccine supply chain, particularly in pandemic situations |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The model has been published and used to develop scenarios. |
Description | collaboration with GSK vaccines |
Organisation | GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) |
Country | Global |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We have provided new concepts in quality by design and supply chain modelling |
Collaborator Contribution | We have co-developed an approach to quality by design and supply chain modelling |
Impact | n/a |
Start Year | 2020 |