Page 175 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

TB and HIV vaccine programmes and the novel lipid programme progress. This was followed in March
programme. In November 2024, the WHO hosted a 2025 by a meeting in Geneva convened by WHO
mRNA Technology Transfer Programme: Innovation and MPP to discuss and coordinate the regional
at the Forefront meeting which brought together all R&D consortia.
partners from across the world to share project and

SAMRC President and CEO, Prof Ntobeko Afrigen hosting Marc Lemaitre, Director General for
Ntusi, and GIPD Executive Director, Dr. Michelle Research and Innovation at the European Commission
Mulder, at the mRNA Technology Transfer Summit to discuss aspects of the mRNA Technology Transfer
held in Cape Town in November 2024. Programme progress and a tour of the Afrigen facility.
Joining the meeting were representatives from
SAMRC, DSTI, EDCTP and MPP (25 November 2024).

Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation in July 2023. The SAMRC offered internships to
(CSSFF)-SAMRC Biomanufacturing 4 students from cohort 1 who were trainers of cohort 3
Capacity Development Programme in 2024 with 22 graduates commencing their training
The SAMRC commenced a collaboration with the in February 2024. In 2024, 5 trainees were offered
internships at BRIP. In February 2025, 20 graduates
Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation (CSSFF) were enrolled in cohort 4 of the studentships.
on a Biomanufacturing Capacity Development For cohorts 1 and 2, 65% received placements in
Programme during 2022/23. The collaboration is industry and 10% in academic institutions and for
funded by a R100 million donation from the CSSFF cohort 3, 70% received placements in industry and
and a R12 million contribution from the SAMRC. 7% in academia. The feedback from industry hosts
The programme supports studentships, internships has been extremely positive with the trainees being
and scholarships. The studentships involve better skilled for employability. The programme
providing technical training to graduates to equip duration has been extended to 10 months to include
them to work in a commercial biomanufacturing longer placement in industry and the number of
environment, including training in laboratory industry partners has increased.
science, process engineering, quality assurance
and scientific and research processes, such as The CSIR leads an initiative to establish a WHO
experimental design and scientific writing. The Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Centre.
training is delivered by the SAMRC’s Biomedical In January 2025, a WHO panel conducted a site
Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP), UCT and visit and engaged the CSIR and its partners, which
SU. Promising candidates who complete these included the SAMRC, Biovac, Afrigen, UVUBio and
studentships are offered industry internships UCT Centre for Bioprocessing Engineering Research
or opportunities for postgraduate studies upon (CeBER) for the proposed WHO regional centre
completion of their training. The first cohort of 15 in South Africa. The CSSFF-SAMRC studentship
trainees commenced their training in February training programme was presented.
2023 and the second cohort of 11 started training

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25 173