Biological E: Bavarian Nordic in collaboration to increase access to chikungunya vaccine globally

Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic has entered into a strategic partnership with India's Biological E Limited to expand access to its chikungunya vaccine in low- and middle-income countries. The parties have initially signed a contract manufacturing agreement to enable scale-up of production capacity for future deliveries to endemic regions. The agreement includes a technology transfer of the current chikungunya vaccine manufacturing process, with the option to later transfer the manufacturing process for the drug substance. Bavarian Nordic will retain its own manufacturing capacity for the upcoming commercialization of the vaccine in Western markets. "We are pleased to announce our first collaboration to expand global access to our chikungunya vaccine and also our first partnership with Biological E, which has deep expertise and extensive experience in delivering vaccines to improve public health worldwide," said Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic. The vaccine has recently received its first approval in the U.S. as the first chikungunya vaccine for people aged 12 years and older, as well as a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. No financial details are provided in the announcement.