TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) is a European-based foundation that facilitates the development of new tuberculosis vaccines. The goal is to protect future generations against tuberculosis.
TBVI supports an integrated network of more than 50 universities, institutes and industries. They develop more effective, safe vaccines that will be globally accessible and affordable. Research conducted by TBVI's mostly European-based network has resulted in several vaccine discoveries (see track record).
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TBVI plans to develop two types of vaccines:
Furthermore, TBVI has a program to develop biomarkers (used to monitor the effectiveness of new vaccines) to increase performance and speed of vaccine development. Biomarkers can provide early insight into the likely effect of a vaccine in different populations and as such can be used as a selection tool before starting long and costly clinical trials. Biomarkers can be useful tools to monitor vaccine trials.
Currently there is only one vaccine against tuberculosis available worldwide: Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG). This vaccine, used since 1921, can protect children from severe forms of tuberculosis. However, BCG has little to no efficacy in preventing pulmonary TB in (young) adults, the most common and most infectious form of tuberculosis. Moreover, there are serious safety concerns[1] regarding the use of BCG in HIV infected newborns.
More effective, safe vaccines to improve or replace BCG are urgently needed as tuberculosis keeps taking its toll. TB causes 1.5 million deaths a year and the burden of the disease, affecting economies worldwide, is estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Vaccines – generally accepted as and proven to be both a very efficient and cost-effective way of preventing infectious diseases – can make the difference.
Modeling studies [2] show that without new vaccines TB can never be eliminated. New vaccines, together with more accurate diagnostics and more efficient drug therapies, would save tens of millions of lives. Vaccines will also be especially crucial in combating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), forms of TB that are expensive and extremely difficult or virtually impossible to treat.
On suggestion of the European Commission - in 2008 TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) was founded to collect additional funds from governments, non-governmental organizations, foundations, private industry and other private funders.
The TBVAC project (2004–2009) – the European Union funded project TBVI managed and evolved from – resulted in:
The most advanced vaccine candidate is currently being tested for efficacy in a Phase IIb study. If successfully tested in further clinical stages this vaccine could hopefully be licensed by 2017.
TBVI's activities are currently being funded by:
Furthermore, TBVI has the support of the European Parliament[5] [6]