The UK invests £12 million in the Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub. Co-led by the University of Oxford and University College London, and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council until 2030, the Hub aims to enable rapid roll-out of new, effective vaccines. Building on the success of Vax-Hub1, which supported the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine development, the new Hub will bring together expertise from academia, industry, policy-makers, and the not-for-profit sector.
Objectives and expectations of the Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub
With the Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub, the UK aims to become the global centre for vaccine discovery, development, and manufacture. The Hub is co-directed by Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert at the University of Oxford and Prof Martina Micheletti at UCL. By leveraging the knowledge and experience of various stakeholders, the Hub has set several key objectives:
- Develop flexible platform technologies capable of manufacturing various vaccine types;
- Streamline and improve manufacturing processes, focusing on product quality and stability;
- Enable mass non-invasive vaccination programmes, such as oral vaccines, within the Hub’s lifetime.
As part of a £52 billion investment in public research and development, the UK government sees novel vaccine development, pandemic preparedness, and agri-food security as some of the biggest global challenges. By investing in the Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub, the UK aims to strengthen its position in addressing these challenges, fostering economic resilience in the face of growing global threats.
Successes of Vax-Hub1 and potential improvements
Vax-Hub1, formed in 2018, played a crucial role in the Oxford University-AstraZeneca collaboration, which led to one of the world’s first COVID-19 vaccines and the delivery of 2.9 billion doses to 180 countries. Building on this success, the Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub aims to further improve vaccine manufacturing processes. According to Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, there are still many areas of improvement, including increasing manufacturing yields, improving thermostability to eliminate the need for refrigeration or freezing, and assessing alternative methods of mass immunisation.
Collaboration and impact on the UK’s global leadership
Besides UCL and the University of Oxford, the Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub involves researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Leeds, and the University of Manchester. This multidisciplinary approach, combined with a focus on innovation, aims to solidify the UK’s global leadership in vaccine research and development. According to a report, a £1 investment in manufacturing research generates a £63 return to the UK economy.
Minister of State for Science, Research & Innovation George Freeman emphasises the importance of the UK’s investment in these areas, stating that funding will help ensure that the UK is well placed to develop the science, technology, and innovation required to address growing global threats.
Conclusion
The Future Vaccines Manufacturing Hub, co-led by the University of Oxford and University College London, signifies a major investment in the UK’s vaccine research and development capabilities. By focusing on innovation, collaboration, and addressing global challenges, the Hub aims to revolutionise vaccine manufacturing and cement the UK’s position as a global leader in this field. This investment demonstrates the UK’s commitment to pandemic preparedness and its determination to save lives by enabling the rapid roll-out of highly effective new vaccines.
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