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"<p>When researchers at Oxford University took their development of  a vaccine candidate against tuberculosis as far as they could, they found a  commercial partner in Emergent BioSolutions.</p><br /><p>The Oxford-Emergent Tuberculosis Consortium Ltd. was formed  with the aim of taking MVA85A through the later stages of clinical development  against the worldwide pandemic.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;Treating tuberculosis is difficult and a drain on precious  health care resources,&rdquo; said Dr. Stephen Lockhart, the senior vice president of  product development at Emergent  BioSolutions.</p><br /><p>If its clinical trial is successful, he said MVA85A could have  a significant impact in bringing tuberculosis under control even in the poorest  countries.</p><br /><p>There are almost 2 million TB-related deaths worldwide each  year, Lockhart pointed out.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;The team at Oxford University,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;knows a great deal  about tuberculosis and this vaccine candidate, while Emergent has a significant  amount of experience in both manufacturing and product development.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;The bottom line is that this consortium brings together  complementary sets of expertise and diverse vested interests. The whole is truly  greater than the sum of the parts.&rdquo;</p><br /><p>Lockhart said Oxford University needed a partner with expertise  in manufacturing, product formulation and vaccine commercialization to move work  on the vaccine candidate forward into the later stages of clinical  development.</p><br /><p>That vaccine, MVA85A, is in a Phase II-B clinical trial in  South Africa that began in 2009. Results are expected in 2011-12.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;Oxford found the joint venture with Emergent attractive  because it provided the ability to retain significant input and involvement in  the development of the vaccine,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Oxford has world-leading cellular  immunology and TB clinical expertise that is critical to MVA85A development.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;Emergent brings expertise in MVA manufacturing, product  development and managing clinical trials to the partnership, but required  Oxford&rsquo;s  deep and comprehensive understanding of the clinical stages of TB.&rdquo;</p><br /><p>Lockhart said the mission of Emergent BioSolutions is  &quot;protecting life.&quot;</p><br /><p>&ldquo;The decision to engage in TB vaccine development was a fitting  expansion within our infectious disease focus having worked on products and  product candidates for anthrax disease, typhoid and Chlamydia.&rdquo;</p><br /><p>The Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation will receive rights to  distribute the vaccine in the developing world at a reduced cost. </p><br /><p>&ldquo;Aeras, funded by the Gates Foundation and others, has been  working for many years to develop sites where manufacturers can undertake trials  on new tuberculosis vaccines,&rdquo; Lockhart said.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;Oxford University was already working with Aeras when the  joint venture was formed and it seems sensible to continue to work together. The  Wellcome Trust has also been supporting this clinical trial work.</p><br /><p>&ldquo;We all have the same aims, to develop a vaccine that can  prevent tuberculosis, so collaboration seems appropriate.&rdquo;</p>"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/stories/510530848-joint-venture-fights-tb-with-vaccine-candidate>