Vir’s substantial immunologic and virologic knowledge and the Gates Foundation’s long-term captaincy in global health to combat two of the most dangerous infectious diseases of the world.
George Scangos, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Vir Biotechnology, expressed confidence over the company’s progress in HIV and malaria research. He said, “Vir’s partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been a formative and essential part of our company history beginning with our T-cell vaccine program targeting HIV and tuberculosis. This expanded collaboration into a second platform technology supports our shared goal of developing innovative solutions for prevention and treatment of global infectious diseases. We look forward to applying the lessons learned thus far in COVID-19, chronic hepatitis B virus infection and influenza to advance our efforts toward curing HIV and preventing malaria”.
The new initiative will include a clinical proof-of-concept trial to assess the potential impact of broadly neutralizing antibodies designed to inhibit viral replication and spread in HIV-infected individuals, as well as their ability to confer a vaccine-like effect that could be used to achieve suppression of HIV without the use of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Further preclinical study will be conducted to determine the technology’s potential usefulness in malaria prevention. The notion of vaccinal antibodies is now being employed throughout Vir’s pipeline of prospective SARS-CoV-2, chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), and influenza A product candidates, and will now be extended to additional infectious illnesses with a substantial impact in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Mike McCune, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the HIV Frontiers Program at the Gates Foundation, spoke about the foundation’s progress in HIV research. He said, “Even though HIV has gone from being a near-term fatal disease to a chronic condition for those who have access to effective antiviral therapies, there remains a significant unmet need for new advances that could enable durable antiretroviral-free suppression of HIV. The foundation is pleased to support the development of this novel vaccinal antibody technology that has the potential to result in such suppression and is committed to advancing access to this cutting-edge innovation globally”.
The Gates Foundation has pledged $40 million in equity investment and a $10 million grant to assist this endeavor. The program-related equity investment is made from the organization’s $2.5 billion Strategic Investment Fund (SIF), which aims to stimulate private sector innovation, promote market efficiency, and attract external capital to prioritize world health and development projects that enhance the health and well-being of disadvantaged people worldwide. SIF reinvests all financial gains in Gates Foundation philanthropic activities.
