Biopharma company GSK grants $1 million to Halifax-based Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV)

Grant recognizes CCfV's national leadership and Nova Scotian contribution to Canada's research capabilities, expected to attract top talent.

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 31, 2023 /CNW/ - GSK announces a $1 million grant to strengthen the Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV)'s position in the national infectious disease research landscape. The private funding will be a catalyst for growth of the Halifax-based centre, increasing employment opportunities and bolstering top-quality research and pandemic preparedness locally and nationally.

Since 2007, CCfV has made extensive contributions to vaccine research nationwide and is a driver of both Nova Scotia's health research industry and the regional economy. With this funding, the Center plans to expand capabilities by adding to their more than 100 full-time staff and providing enhanced training, equipment, and facilities. This growth will propel research that impacts local, national and global health outcomes.

"Today's announcement is a testament to the Canadian Center for Vaccinology's capabilities and robust track record, propelling leading life-changing research and innovation with tangible positive impact on the health of Canadians and of people around the world," says Marni Freeman, Vice President and Country Medical Director, GSK Canada. "At GSK we believe that we have a collective responsibility to ensure that centres such as these are supported to maintain and drive excellence in research, to link innovation to patients' eventual access, and to attract and retain top talent in Canada."

GSK has been one of CCfV's top corporate research partners going back to the late 1990s. During the H1N1 Influenza pandemic, the three GSK-funded clinical trials at CCfV made GSK the largest contract-holder with the Center at the time. To date, GSK has funded more than 50 studies at CCfV.

"To have a large organization such as GSK recognize the importance of contributing to the stability of CCfV as a whole, not just funding individual studies, will have big impact for us," says CCfV director Scott Halperin. "This funding will give us the means to begin expanding our impact even further, and properly invest in the infrastructure, training and staffing we need to keep moving forward."

Over the past five years, the Center's operating costs, infrastructure and equipment requirements have grown along with its range of studies. Currently, all CCfV operating funds are derived from competitive academic research grants and industry grants and contracts. This funding from GSK will help support the critical core infrastructure on which CCfV researchers, and their industry clients, depend.

"Nova Scotia is the perfect size for research and clinical trials and has the potential to be a leading jurisdiction in life and health science innovation," says the Honourable Michelle Thompson, Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness. "The impact of this investment will be felt locally and nationally."

CCfV's past research has spanned the full life cycle of vaccines. This includes more than 25 first-in-human clinical trials, outpacing any other academic vaccine research facility in Canada. Clinical trials for vaccines that address H1N1, Ebola, COVID-19, and many other global diseases have been conducted at the Centre. In addition, the facility houses a spectrum of infectious disease and social science research, and is one of a few facilities in Canada equipped to conduct controlled human infection model studies.

The Canadian Center for Vaccinology is a collaboration of IWK Health, Nova Scotia Health, and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Comprised of the Vaccine Discovery, Vaccine Evaluation, and the Programs, Policy, and Implementation research groups, the Center serves as a critical academic pipeline for Canadian vaccine priorities - from the development of promising new vaccine candidates to applied public health research that supports timely decision-making.  For additional information visit centerforvaccinology.ca.

We are a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We make innovative vaccines and specialty medicines to prevent and treat disease. Our R&D focuses on the science of the immune system, human genetics and advanced technologies. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people over the next 10 years. Find out more at gsk.ca.

SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline Inc.