EVI activities are diverse. EVI funds research into individual vaccine candidates, works across Europe to harmonise processes and protocols for vaccine development, and to build capacity, and EVI funds the strengthening of capacity in Developing Countries for vaccine Research and Development (R&D), manufacturing and conducting clinical trials.
Vaccine development
Development of vaccines is inherently risky, with vaccine candidates potentially falling at every hurdle. Vaccines also take years to develop and test. EVI funds and actively maintains a diverse vaccine portfolio targetting various stages in the development pipeline.
Coordination (Europe and global)
EVI brings together and coordinates a large number of diverse individuals and organisations from academia, industry, regulatory bodies, governments, and the public arena. EVI’s coordination activities unite these stakeholders in order to achieve goals that aim to strengthen efforts to expedite the acquisition of safe and efficacious vaccines.
Harmonisation
Research on vaccines for diseases of poverty has historically been fragmented, leading to difficulties when comparing experimental vaccines from different labs. EVI is working across Europe to harmonise specific aspects of such work, including adjuvant testing and numerous assays commonly used in determining experimental vaccine efficacy.
Services
R&D groups seeking to progress new vaccine candidates are often confronted with a disparate group of those providing services in vaccine development. EVI provides services to accelerate R&D of vaccine candidates, so helping to address these structural weaknesses.
Capacity strengthening
Specialist expertise and facilities to carry out vaccine R&D are a limiting factor in the development of vaccines for diseases of poverty. EVI works in many ways within both Developing Countries and Europe, directly and by funding others, to strengthen capacity to develop and assess vaccine candidates.
