The ADITEC Project on Advanced Immunization Technologies: an European Success Story

30 million Euros of funding, 42 public and private institutions have joined forces for next generation vaccines.

The ADITEC project was presented today at the European Parliament as a Success Story.

Development of novel immunisation technologies, adjuvants, vectors and delivery systems, formulations and vaccination methods optimised for different age groups, 207 scientific publications,  and 12 clinical trials all realised in less than six years: these are just some of the results of ADITEC, the High Impact European project on advanced immunization technologies launched in 2011, which was presented this morning at the European Parliament as a success story,  in an event focusing on the status of Vaccine Research and Development in Europe. With a budget of 30 million Euro from the European Union (7^th Research and Development Programme), bringing together 42 research institutions from 13 European countries and USA, ADITEC has established a new model for vaccine research, based on a strong synergy between private and public  institutions that has proved to be most effective. 

Key opinion leaders attended this morning event at the European Parliament including representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, European Union Member States and a broad representation of the vaccines community including academia, industry, civil society and regulatory bodies.

Paul Rubig, President of  the Science and Technology Option Assessment (STOA) Panel at the Research and Development Department of the European Parliament, Arnd Hoeveler, Head of the “Innovative tools, technologies and concepts health research” Unit at the Directorate Health of DG Research and Innovation at the European Commission, Patrizia Toia, EU parliamentarian and vice president of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee, came together this morning along with Rino Rappuoli Chief Scientists of GSK Vaccines and President of the Sclavo Vaccines Association (SVA) and Donata Medaglini, professor at the University of Siena and vice-president of SVA, scientific coordinator of ADITEC.

MEP, Paul Rubig: “The highly innovative project ADITEDC aims at accelerating the development of novel immunization technologies for the next generation of human vaccines. Continuous support to research and innovation and close collaboration between science and industry are essential for EU to keep a prominent role in the world. This is not only in the interest of Europe’s and worlds’ health, but also in the interest of creating and sustaining high-value jobs in Europe”.

MEP, Toia: “Two-thirds of vaccine research and development is being conducted by European firms, and almost 90% of all vaccine production takes place in Europe. This  provides a strong foundation from which to take up new scientific approaches and to invest in innovative developments in the area of vaccine research”.

EC, Hoeveler: “Aditec is an impressive project, truly interdisciplinary which has developed  a culture of openness and collaborative work and which has delivered high impact results going clearly beyond the original scope of the project .”

GSK Vaccines, Rappuoli: “Vaccines are the medical intervention that has had the greatest impact in human health, and contributed to raise life expectancy from 47 years in 1900 to more than 80 years.Thanks to the new technologies, vaccines can address the needs of today's society such as improving the health life of the ageing population, tackling emerging diseases, and preventing cancer. Aditec project gives an important contribution to the future vaccines generation.”

University of Siena, Medaglini, “ADITEC – explains Professor Medaglini – has succeeded in achieving what previously deemed impossible: breaking the barriers between public and private organizations, sharing vaccine technologies such as adjuvant and vectors for their comparative testing, conducting 12 clinical trials, creating a tool box of new technologies for next generation vaccines.This unprecedented effort has created a true global vaccine enterprise and new a paradigm in vaccine research. Now, further support is needed to capitalize on the ADITEC great progress made on novel technologies for the vaccines of the future”.

By financing ADITEC, the European Commission aimed at pioneering a valid platform for innovation within the field of research and development of vaccines, with a significant socio economic impact. A one-year extension to the project has recently been approved, prolonging the project until September 2017. Continued support is needed to guarantee that the ADITEC initial success is fully exploited with an evident impact on health improvements and European economy.

The presentation of the ADITEC project at the European Parliament took place in occasion of the ADITEC annual meeting, to which over 100 researchers involved in the project participated.

This evening, the ADITEC project will be highlighted at the Italian Embassy in Brussels, where a special event is being organised by the Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi and project coordinators Rappuoli and Medaglini with the participation of leading scientists, key figures from the pharmaceutical industry, politicians and key opinion leaders.

More information

• Sclavo Vaccines Association (IT)

• Statens Serum Institut (DK)

• Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (DE)

• Institut Pasteur (FR)

• University of Oxford (UK)

• University of Siena (IT)

• University of Geneva (CH)

• GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines Srl (IT)

• University of Gothenburg (SE)

• Academisch Ziekenhuis Leiden (NL)

• Emory University (USA)

• Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (NL)

• Infectious Disease Research Institute (USA)

• University of Utrecht (NL)

• Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca (IT)

• Fondazione per l’Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina (CH)

• Istituto Superiore di Sanità (IT)

• Kings College London (UK)

• World Health Organization (CH)

• Commissariat al Energie Atomique et Aux Energies Alternatives (FR)

• Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (FR)

• Erasmus Medical Centre (NL)

• ALTA Srl (IT)

• Medicine in Need (FR)

• DeCode (IS)

• Reithera Srl (IT)

• Sigmoid Pharma Limited (IE)

• Vaccibody AS (NO)

• Duotol AB (SE)

• Crossbeta Biosciences BV (NL)

• Microbiotec SRL (IT)

• Bioneedle Technologies Group BV (NL)

• GSK Vaccines Institute for global health Srl (IT)

• Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (USA)

• Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (UK)

• University of Surrey (UK)

• University of Innsbruck (AT)

• ABERA Bioscience AB (SE)

• VisMederi srl (IT)

• Department of Health – Medicines and Heathcare Regulatory Agency (UK)

• Valneva Austria GmbH (AT)

• GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (BE)