The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) said it started transferring related technology for the development of a simplified oral cholera vaccine (OCV-S) to Biological E (BE), a leading vaccine and pharmaceutical company in India.

The agreement comes after IVI and BE signed a technology license agreement, initiating the transfer of technical knowledge, expertise, and materials required for the production of OCV-S at BE's facilities in November of last year.

Under the accord, IVI planned to continue supporting BE through the clinical development phases and regulatory approval processes.

OCV-S represents a simplified formulation of the oral cholera vaccine that could lower production costs and increase manufacturing capacity, enhancing the capabilities of both existing and new OCV manufacturers.

IVI's ongoing development and technology transfer of OCV-S is part of its strategy to combat cholera, aiming to ensure adequate supply, improve cholera vaccines, and support the use and introduction of OCVs. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has supported IVI's cholera program since 2000 and will continue to fund this technology transfer to BE.

The partnership is set to expand the supply of affordable cholera vaccines in the global public market, with a target to complete the technology transfer by 2025. BE intends to produce the oral cholera vaccine not just for India but also for the global market.

“In an era where the risk of poverty-related infectious diseases like cholera is increasing, the world needs sources that can sustainably supply high-quality, affordable vaccines, and manufacturers that are actively willing to supply them,” IVI Director-General Jerome Kim said. “We are collaborating with BE, a company with a proven history of supplying vaccines globally, to address this supply shortfall and protect communities from cholera, a deadly but preventable disease.”

BE Managing Director Mahima Datla also said, “We are glad to be in collaboration with IVI for the manufacture of simplified OCV-S.

The company’s efforts are aimed to not only combat the disease but to also be part of a sustained legacy of innovation, collaboration, and health stewardship, Dalta added.

Meanwhile, the technology transfer and licensing agreement of the OCV-S technology is the sixth of its kind, where IVI has transferred OCV or OCV-S to manufacturers in countries including India, Korea, Bangladesh, and South Africa.

These collaborations have achieved or are in pursuit of the World Health Organization's Prequalification (WHO PQ), enabling global institutions like UNICEF to purchase the vaccines for worldwide distribution. BE already holds WHO PQ for nine vaccines in its portfolio and plans to pursue WHO PQ for OCV-S in India after obtaining domestic use approval.

“The cholera situation is dire, and the availability and use of oral cholera vaccine is an essential part of a multifaceted approach to cholera control and prevention, especially as outbreaks increase and the global vaccine supply remains strained,” IVI’s Cholera Program Director Julia Lynch said. “With more manufacturers like BE entering the market, the future supply situation looks strong, and IVI remains committed to ensuring the availability of the oral cholera vaccine and to developing new and improved vaccines that are equally safe, effective, and affordable and made around the world, for the world.”