Polio News: VitriVax Awarded $3.6M Grant, Japan grant to Pakistan
VitriVax
VitriVax, Inc., a vaccine formulation technology company, announced today a two-year $3.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This is the second grant awarded to VitriVax by the Gates Foundation and will fund development of a polio vaccine formulation for possible inclusion in combination pediatric vaccines.
VitriVax will be applying its proprietary Atomic Layering Thermostable Antigen and Adjuvant (ALTA®) technology to new polio vaccine candidates composed of virus-like particles (VLPs) for use in future combination hexavalent vaccines. Use of VLPs as a modality in polio eradication efforts is under investigation for the next generation of polio vaccines. The ALTA® technology may facilitate the co-formulation of multiple, otherwise incompatible, antigens in a single injection.
“Funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation allows us to continue our efforts to advance global accessibility to human vaccines,” said Romulo Colindres, CEO of VitriVax. “We are honored to be part of the global drive to protect children from polio infection and contribute to polio eradication efforts.”
Japan announces $3.1 million grant to support Pakistan's Polio Programme
The Government of Japan has announced a new US$ 3.1 million grant to procure essential oral polio vaccines as part of its continued support to polio eradication efforts in Pakistan. Pakistan Polio Programme will use these funds to procure more than 20.22 million doses of vaccines to support polio campaigns in 2025.
Pakistan is one of only two countries globally that has yet to stop polio. So far in 2024, Pakistan has reported a total of 59 cases of polio. With the current surge in polio cases in the country, the Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with its partners, is set to implement an extensive and strategic action plan in 2025 aimed at eradicating this life-threatening disease among children. Each national immunization drive targets over 45.4 million children under the age of five, with more than 400,000 frontline workers, predominantly women, playing a crucial role in ensuring the Polio Programme's outreach.
"The challenges faced in 2024 have underscored the critical need to accelerate our efforts to eradicate polio. With Japan's continued support, we are further strengthened to intensify our efforts, aiming to achieve zero polio cases by mid-2025 under the leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif," stated Prime Minister Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq.
"The unwavering support of the Government of Japan has been instrumental in helping us get closer to reaching zero cases. We are thankful to the Government and people of Japan for their continued support towards polio eradication in Pakistan," Prime Minister Focal Person on Polio Eradication Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq added.
Mr. TAKANO Shuichi, Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, said “Japan has supported Pakistan to eradicate polio for nearly 30 years despite hindrance such as floods, COVID, and terrorist attacks. Since this year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s ODA to Pakistan, we would like to renew our commitment to continue to promote routine immunization including polio vaccination in Pakistan.”
The new funding is part of the continuous support from the Government of Japan to the Polio Eradication programme since 1996. To date, the grant and loan contribution from the Government of Japan has amounted to approx. US$ 242.194 million dollars to support the Polio programme in Pakistan through UNICEF.