Vaccine Research and Development Center

Introduction | Scientific Advisory Board | Members

Introduction

Origin & Mandates of the NHRI Vaccine Center

The concept to have Taiwan Vaccine Center for Research and Development was proposed in 1992 and the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) of Taiwan was appointed by Executive Yuan to conduct the "human vaccine manufacturing plans" in 1997. In order to facilitate the "Strategies for Biotechnology Development in Taiwan", the Executive Yuan in 2001 appointed National Health Research Institute (NHRI) to take over the "human vaccine manufacturing plans" and integrate the current Vaccine and Serum section of CDC into a new NHRI Vaccine Center for Research and Development. After a year site survey and vaccine center working group discussions, in January 24, 2002 the Department of Health approved the Vaccine Center

• to be built in Zhunan in the NHRI new main campus,
• to have infra-structure and facility to conduct vaccine research and development to meet local needs,
• to have cGMP facilities that have capability to produce cGMP-grade traditional vaccines and anti-venom serum for local use,
• to assist local University or Biotech to produce GMP-grade vaccine candidates and initiate phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in Taiwan and Asia,
• to be the forum for training and educating local young scientists in vaccine-related biotechnology, and
• to have the ability to respond Taiwan government emergency request for vaccines against bioterrorism.

Center Mission

The NHRI Vaccine Center will become the leader in developing novel vaccines and immunotherapeutic candidates to fulfill Asian unmet health care needs. To achieve these goals we will use vaccine technologies to validate the candidates in targeting species and establish strategic external alliances if necessary. Recognizing employee partnerships are the keys to our success, we aim to nurture open door and sense of urgency policies, proactive and transparent teamwork to sustain productive and innovative Research and Development environment.

Organization

Objectives (2005-2008)

• Complete the Center buildings construction and validate the pilot plants facilities in 30 months
• Recruit key scientists, facility engineer, platform leaders and pilot plant managers within 18 months
• Initiate Technology transfer and smooth integration of CDC staff into NHRI Vaccine center
• Initiate and implement enterovirus 71 (EV-71) vaccine candidate pre-clinical studies
• Initiate and implement Research and Development platform technologies, in particular molecular immunology for Asian
• Initiate Research projects in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) recombinant subunit vaccine for elderly
• Initiate collaboration with Nation Defense Medical School to develop HPV recombinant subunit vaccine candidates against cervical cancer
• Initiate multi-valent meingococcal conjugate vaccines project
• Initiate R&D projects in SARS vaccines