SGS Joins Oxford University Consortium Led by the Jenner Institute to Develop COVID-19 Vaccine

With many concluding that a vaccine is the only way of safely and effectively unlocking the world from this pandemic, the COVID-19 Oxford Vaccine Trial could provide that crucial vaccine.

This work is funded by the Rapid Research Response initiative set up by UK Research and Innovation, and by the Department of Health and Social Care through the National Institute for Health Research and the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The study has also received financial support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences' Innovation Fund.

The University of Oxford highlighted that preclinical testing of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine is being conducted, and development and scale-up of manufacturing to produce millions of doses is being carried out by the University of Oxford, the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (Oxford) and other partners. Already, researchers have started screening healthy volunteers (aged 18-55) for the upcoming vaccine trial in the Thames Valley Region.

Dr. Archie Lovatt, Scientific Operations Director (Biosafety), SGS said: "We are conducting research at our Biosafety Center of Excellence in Glasgow, which is well equipped and fully capable of providing the testing services needed for this project. Only a year ago, in 2019, we expanded its facilities to increase capacity for testing cell banks for vaccines, gene and cell therapies, monoclonal antibodies and other recombinant protein based biological medicines, including a vaccine testing solution suitable for coronavirus."

In addition to this essential collaboration, SGS is also actively involved in other confidential vaccines and COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

As pioneers in the development of the biosafety testing industry, SGS's Life Sciences team is proud to be part of this crucial project.