Initiative for the creation of a Vaccine Research Institute

The vaccine Research Institute (VRI) was created in 2011 to conduct researches to accelerate the development of innovative vaccines against HIV and (re)-emerging infectious diseases. The Labex is supported by institutional research bodies (UPEC, Inserm/ANRS|MIE, Institut Pasteur, IDMIT/CEA, Université de Bordeaux et Strasbourg, Sidaction and Baylor Institute of Immunology (USA)) which have joined forces to create the VRI at the site of the Mondor Hospital/UPEC.

The VRI is structured around 17 research teams, a network of national and international thought leading scientists, physicians, core facilities and innovative platforms and strengthens the links between basic, translational research, patient associations and the socio-economic world, accelerating vaccine development. Through cutting-edge equipment and technologies, the platforms will be key to the development of solid expertise in biomarkers of the vaccine response.

Since its creation, VRI was supported by and/or established scientific collaboration with institutional (COMUE Paris Est, Conseil Général du Val de Marne, City of Créteil), industrial (Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Transgene, AbZena, Bachem, Baccinex, CRL, ABL, Janssen, Merck), international (EC, BMGF) and charitable (Sidaction) partners. Following the significant advances on HIV and COVID programs, VRI has developed collaborations with CDMOs (Novasep/TFS, GTP Bioways, Lonza) for manufacturing clinical lots of VRI vaccines to be moved in clinic.

A platform of vaccine candidates has been developed within VRI (Lipopeptides, DC based vaccines, Pox virus (MVA)) or in collaboration: NYVAC (CHUV, Eurovacc, Sanofi Pasteur), DNA (Eurovacc, Fit Biotech), new flavivirus (Replivax vector Sanofi Pasteur), Ad26/MVA Ebola (Janssen), VSV Ebola (Merck) & adjuvant/immunomodulators: Poly-ICLC (Oncovir), GLA (AAHI), IL-7 (Cytheris, Revimmune). In the last 13 years, several HIV programs have been moved from preclinical to phase I/II clinical trials (Light, VRI01&06, EHVAP01).