MSD Responds to Sudan Ebolavirus Outbreak in Uganda with Plans to Produce and Donate Investigational Vaccine Doses for IAVI’s Vaccine Development Program
October 25, 2022 7:00 am ET
RAHWAY, N.J., Oct. 25, 2022 – MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK)announced today that in response to the health and humanitarian crisis of the Sudan ebolavirus outbreak in Uganda, the company plans to produce and donate vials of investigational candidate Sudan ebolavirus vaccine to IAVI, a global nonprofit scientific research organization, for further clinical research use. IAVI plans to use these vials for its ongoing Sudan ebolavirus vaccine development program. The vials will be produced from existing investigational bulk drug substance previously manufactured by MSD and are intended to be used as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) efforts to fight the outbreak in Uganda. MSD and IAVI are working toward a formal agreement and are collaborating now to accelerate this effort.
“We are proud to work together with IAVI in support of the World Health Organization’s response to address the Sudan Ebola outbreak in Uganda,” said Beth-Ann Coller, executive director, Global Clinical Development Vaccines, MSD Research Laboratories. “We are moving with urgency to prepare these vials and donate them to IAVI as quickly as possible to help support the efforts of the WHO and the people of Uganda as they grapple with this outbreak.”
MSD anticipates that it will fill approximately 50,000 doses for IAVI from the existing bulk drug substance by the end of 2022. Further use in the response to the outbreak will be subject to authorization by applicable health authorities.
Dr. Mark Feinberg, president and CEO of IAVI, said, “We are very grateful to MSD for supplying the investigational vaccine for IAVI, which will help accelerate IAVI’s program. IAVI looks forward to working with partners responding to the ongoing Sudan Ebola outbreak to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and safety. We hope that our efforts may contribute to the response in Uganda should the outbreak persist, and also enable the world to be better prepared for future Sudan Ebola outbreaks.”
About MSD
At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.msd.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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