How advanced technologies are transforming development, evaluation and manufacturing of MCMs for epidemics and pandemics
The convergence of breakthroughs in immunology, genomics, synthetic biology, data science, and manufacturing is opening an unprecedented window to re‑imagine how the world designs, evaluates, and deploys medical countermeasures (MCMs) during epidemics and pandemics. At the same time, persistent gaps between scientific possibility and translation towards new or better MCMs mean that game‑changing innovations do not necessarily result in timely, equitable impact.
Platform technologies, AI‑enabled discovery, and regionalized manufacturing could enable faster, more distributed equitable outbreak responses, yet innovation and a myriad of uncoordinated research agendas have not fully caught up. This scientific consultation will focus on near to mid‑term opportunities to close these gaps and promote the collaboration that will be needed to meet their full potential. It will convene leading scientists, innovators, product developers, regulators, and public‑health officials from all regions to interrogate recent advances and explore how they can be harnessed to strengthen pandemic research readiness and equitable access to MCMs. Discussions will be anchored around critical, forward‑looking questions, including:
- What scientific and technical barriers would still prevent a faster and fairer response to the next epidemic or pandemic?
- How can Collaborative Open Research Consortia (CORCs), using a family‑based strategy, enable cross‑pathogen adaptation of innovations and seamless integration of new tools into MCM R&D pipelines?
- What will it take to move from aspirational, innovation‑rich research roadmaps to concrete, resourced, and executable research programmes over the next 3–5 years?
Proposed objectives
- Priority innovation opportunities across the MCM lifecycle: To identify high‑impact opportunities where emerging technologies can accelerate target identification, candidate optimization, and preclinical and clinical evaluation of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for epidemic‑ and pandemic‑prone pathogens.
- Technology‑driven manufacturing and scale‑up models: To examine how innovation can increase the flexibility, speed, robustness, and regional reach of MCM manufacturing and surge scale‑up during outbreaks and pandemics.
- Collaborative approaches and seamless integration across pathogen families: To discuss how Collaborative Open Research Consortia (CORCs), organized around high‑risk families, can drive a family‑based strategy for MCM R&D.
Further details on agenda, speakers, and registration will follow. Please hold the dates and consider joining this consultation (share with others) to help shape the next generation of innovation‑driven, equitable pandemic research preparedness.