CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)
Arun Kumar PhD, SCPM, serves as the RNA Innovation Programs Leader at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) since September 2018, focusing on the development of RNA-based vaccines to tackle significant public health issues. With a strong background in vaccine development, Arun has held roles at GSK as a Scientist I and Marie-Curie Scientist, working on self-amplifying mRNA technology for universal influenza vaccines and managing messenger RNA vaccine projects. Prior experience includes positions at Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics and the University of Helsinki, where Arun specialized in novel SAM® vaccine platforms and studied immunological mechanisms of emerging viruses, respectively. Educational qualifications include a PhD in Viral Immunology from the University of Helsinki and certification as a Stanford Certified Project Manager.
CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)
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CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines against future epidemics. Prior to COVID-19, CEPI’s work focused on developing vaccines against the Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever virus and Chikungunya virus. It has over 20 vaccine candidates against these pathogens in development. CEPI has also invested in new platform technologies for rapid vaccine development against unknown pathogens (Disease X). During the COVID-19 pandemic, CEPI initiated multiple programmes to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants with a focus on speed, scale, and access. These programmes leverage the rapid response platforms developed by CEPI’s partners prior to the emergence of COVID-19, as well as new collaborations. The aim is to advance clinical development of a diverse portfolio of safe and effective COVID-19 candidates and to enable fair allocation of these vaccines worldwide through COVAX. CEPI’s 5-year plan lays out a $3.5 billion roadmap to compress vaccine development timelines to 100 days, develop a broadly protective vaccine against COVID-19 and other Betacoronaviruses, and create a “library” of vaccine candidates for use against known and unknown pathogens. The plan is available at www.endpandemics.cepi.net