Page 174 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

Immunogen/ mRNA Novel
Antigen Design Platform(s) Lipid Carriers PRECLINICAL
CAPACITY
NICD, UCT, AHRI Wits/Afrigen Wits / Afrigen
Building holistic workflow
for tox studies at PCDDP
Immunology
DISEASE
SURVEILLANCE
MANUFACTURE
FOR CLINICAL
NGS-SA Genomic
Surveillance TRIALS
VACCINE CANDIDATE
Wastewater Surveillance
DEVELOPMENT Afrigen Objective 1
Workforce training
CSSFF-SAMRC

REAGENTS FOR COVID HIV TB RVF CLINICAL
MANUFACTURE TRIALS

SU Biofoundry – Managed by SAMRC
9 enzymes for local
manufacture

Key Components of the SAMRC-led Objective 3 Programme

the immunogens to first in human studies. The key funding provided by the ELMA Vaccines and
components of the programme are depicted in the Immunization Foundation via the SAMRC mRNA
above figure. Hub Programme. This has led to the award of
funding from CEPI for preclinical development
Substantial progress has been made to date on the and phase 1 trials.
SAMVAC programmes including the following:
• Wits has developed a series of novel ionizable
• Wits has developed a novel mRNA backbone and lipids from natural waste products and
demonstrated proof of concept (in vivo expression demonstrated that these form lipid nanoparticles
of the antigens and elicitation of an immune and encapsulate and deliver mRNA efficiently.
response) with COVID, HIV and TB immunogens. • UCT has identified areas for improvement
• A series of mRNA candidates encoding several throughout the mRNA production process.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens have been • NWU has established and tested in a pilot study
developed and tested for immunogenicity and on the Afrigen COVID vaccine a framework for a
2 candidates have been down selected for virtual workflow for preclinical toxicity testing.
further testing and manufacturing process
development. Positive results were obtained in a • SU has established strains for the production
TB challenge study. of recombinant enzymes required for mRNA
production. These are being scaled at the CSIR
• A series of mRNA candidates encoding HIV and Fluorobiotech.
envelope antigens from locally derived and well
characterised strains have been developed and • CERI and the SAMRC’s wastewater programme
tested for immunogenicity. Further candidates continue to monitor pathogens of concern.
are in development and will be tested in various On 30 July 2024, the SAMRC hosted the 2nd SAMVAC
prime-boost regimens. Strategic Committee Meeting where the various

• Afrigen has progressed the development of a sub-programmes were discussed. An integrated
vaccine candidate for Rift Valley Fever with seed product development plan is in development for the

172 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25