Vaccines, Immunology and Clinical Trials

Giulio Tarro graduated from Medicine School, Naples University (1962). Research Associate, Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital (1965-1968), Assistant Professor of Research Pediatrics, College Medicine (1968-1969), Cincinnati University, Ohio. Oncological Virology Professor, Naples University (1972-1985). Chief Division Virology (1973-2003), Head Department Diagnostic Laboratories, (2003-2006). D. Cotugno Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Naples; Emeritus, 2006 -. Since 2007 Chairman Committee of Biotechnologies and VirusSphere, World Academy Biomedical Technologies, UNESCO, Adjunct Professor Department Biology, Temple University, College of Science and Technology, Philadelphia, recipient of the Sbarro Health Research Organization lifetime achievement award (2010). President Foundation de Beaumont Bonelli for Cancer Research.

Clinical and laboratory applied, Virology basic and diagnostic, Viral Oncology, Immunology clinical practice,Vaccines.

René Labatut is commited since 26 years to the biotech industry with deep experience in CMC management in biopharmaceutical industry from research & development to manufacturing in highly regulated environment (US, EU, Japan, China, ...). He has developed a worldwide international skill set in Innovation, technology transfer, licensing in and out, and acquisition - integration management. He is the Vice President of Manufacturing Technology of Sanofi Pasteur the vaccines division of Sanofi. He has delivered numerous speeches in reputed conferences and has been serving as a steering committee member of Center for Biomedical Innovation at MIT. He has brought significant contribution to several key healthcare product developments like Ceredase, Thymoglobulin, hexavalent pediatric, Flu and Dengue vaccines . René holds a PhD in biochemistry, Master in bioengineering from National Institute of Applied Sciences (Lyon, France) ; Master in molecular biology from Lyon I University ; and Master in business from Lyon III University

Vaccines

Akira Homma was born on August 12, 1939, in President Wenceslau, São Paulo, son of Harusi Homma Homma and Koyuki. The Adolfo Lutz Institute in São Paulo, came to the Pan American Center for Foot-in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, in 1961. He graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 1967 from Universidade Federal Fluminense. Soon joined Fiocruz, to work on Polio Laboratory of the Department of Biological Sciences, School of Public Health Foundation, along with Hermann Schatzmayr. In 1972, he obtained the degree of Doctor of Science at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, United States, with the thesis "Experimental studies of using coil filter for concentration of sewage virus." Akira Homma points out in his interview, that the thesis of Oswaldo Cruz was also on dissemination of infectious agents via water, and their study is about viruses and the Oswaldo Cruz on bacteria. Worked in the Laboratory Bayer in Germany in the production of vaccines against foot and mouth disease in the year 1974. Later, from 1990 to 1991, he coordinated the National Program for Self-Sufficiency in Immunobiology (Pasni), the Ministry of Health, and this year until 1997 coordinated the Special Program for Vaccines and Immunization PAHO. He was superintendent and director of the Institute of Technology in Immunobiology of Fiocruz (Bio-Manguinhos), 1976-1989, president (1989-1990) and Vice President of Fiocruz Technology (1997-2001). Responsible for structuring Bio-Manguinhos, articulated agreements with Japanese institutions aiming at the production of oral polio vaccine and other vaccines. Throughout its history the institution has exercised the activity of teaching and research, with numerous publications and participation in scientific events. In 2001 he was elected director of Bio-Manguinhos, a position in which it remains until today.

vaccines

Emmanuel Drouet, is professor of Virology at the University of Grenoble-Alpes (France), and previously served as a biomedical pathologist in the Institut Pasteur (Lyon, France). Dr Drouet’s research investigates the persisting viruses in human (RNA and DNA viruses) and the balance with our host immune system. He focuses on their effects on humans (both their impact in pathology and their symbiotic relationships in humans).. Emmanuel Drouet has an excellent track record in herpesvirus field, and his group is engaged in clinical research in the field of EBV diseases. Current research included the field of Hepatitis C Virus research, leading to elucidation of some aspects of its epidemiology and control.

Current research included the field of Hepatitis C Virus research.

Marc P Girard received his doctorate in veterinary medicine at Paris University in 1960, and his doctorate in Science in 1967, also in Paris. He trained for three years in the molecular biology of poliovirus as a Post-doctoral Fellow in the USA with Pr James Darnell, Renato Dulbecco and David Baltimore. He went on studying the molecular biology and genetics of poliovirus, then SV40 and adenovirus, before moving to HIV. He was a visiting professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Pr Hurwitz), the NIH (Dr Anthony Fauci), the Salk Institute in La Jolla (Pr David Baltimore) and Duke University (Pr Bolognesi). He worked for the last 20 years of his career on the development of an HIV vaccine.
Pr Girard was the Director General of the Mérieux Foundation in Lyon from mid 2001 to end of 2004. He previously was the Director of the Center for Research in Immuno-Virology (CERVI) in Lyon, France, which includes the BSL4 Virology Laboratory that was operated jointly by the Mérieux Foundation and the Pasteur Institute, and the Federative Research Institute on Virology, Immunology and Pathology of Emerging Diseases (IFR 74), a research laboratory of the French National Health & Medical Research Institute (INSERM).
Among the positions held by Pr Girard prior to his appointment in Lyon were Head, Department of Virology, and Professor, Chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris (1980-1999); Scientific Director (CSO), Pasteur Vaccins, a joint industrial subsidiary of the Pasteur and Mérieux Institutes (1984-1990); Vice-Director of the Pasteur Institute, Paris (1990-92), Professor of Virology and Molecular Biology at University Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris (1974-1984; on leave until 2001).
Pr Girard was the Chairman of the Concerted Action “Vaccines” at the French National AIDS Research Agency (ANRS) from 1988 to 1998. He then chaired the E.U. HIV Vaccine Initiative “EuroVac”, an international AIDS vaccine Research Consortium which grouped together 21 European laboratories participating in comparative Phase I clinical trials of candidate HIV vaccines in human volunteers.
Marc Girard went on official retirement on 31.12.2004 but he has remained active, teaching, giving talks and writing review articles on vaccines as an Honorary Professor at University Denis Diderot (Paris 7). He also is a member of the French National Academy of Medicine and of the French Veterinary Academy. He has been the organizer of the “Cent Gardes Conference” on HIV Vaccines since 1986.

Vaccine Research

Luigi Aurisicchio, PhD, received his Laurea in Biology in 1996 at the University of Napoli "Federico II". At the Stazione Zoologica A. Dohrn in Napoli characterized signal transduction mechanisms in thyroid cancer. In 1997, joined IRBM/MRL focusing on the development of gene therapy approaches for the cure of viral hepatitis. Subsequently contributed to the approval and development of Cancer Vaccine program, being Research Group Leader in the last 5 years. His research interests include the discovery, characterization and engineering of novel tumor associated antigens for cancer vaccines, but also intratumoral delivery of siRNAs, generation of novel monoclonal antibodies and development of Oncology pre-clinical models. Has published >60 papers in peer reviewed International Journals and is author of 8 patents.

His research interests include the discovery, characterization and engineering of novel tumor associated antigens for cancer vaccines, but also intratumoral delivery of siRNAs, generation of novel monoclonal antibodies and development of Oncology pre-clinical models.

Professor Timms is a nationally and internationally renowned microbiologist with specific expertise in the area of Chlamydia. His laboratory is acknowledged as the leading Australian laboratory and one of the leading groups internationally working on all aspects of chlamydial infections

His research group is developing vaccines and new diagnostics for chlamydial diseases in humans and animals as well as an improved understanding of chlamydial genomics, cell biology and pathogenicity.

Giampietro Corradin graduated in chemistry at the University of Padua and received his PhD degree in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, after completion of a thesis on the structure and function of cytochrome c. After a post-doctoral position in biochemistry at Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire, he continued his training in molecular immunology at the National Jewish Hospital, Denver, Colorado. He joined the Institute of Biochemistry in 1979 where he was an Associate Professor. For the last 15 years the main focus of his laboratory has been the elucidation of the immunological mechanisms of protection in malaria using well-defined animal models. In addition, development of vaccine candidates has been actively pursued by introducing new and faster approaches for the identification, production and development of novel malaria vaccine candidates.

MALARIA: SEARCH OF ANTIGENS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROTECTIVE VACCINES

Nikolai Petrovsky MBBS, FRACP, Ph.D. is an active hospital clinician, research professor at Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide Australia and research director of Vaxine, an Australian vaccine development company. He is Secretary-General of the International Immunomics Society and has received major funding from the US National Institutes of Health to develop novel biodefense vaccines and adjuvants. He has won prestigious awards including the AMP Innovation Award at the 2009 Telstra Business Awards and an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010. He has taken four vaccines to the clinic and has authored over 100 scientific papers and book chapters.

Pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, Obesity and type 2 diabetes, Vaccine development and Immuno-informatics.

Graduated in Medicine and Surgery from Bangladesh in 1980 and received PhD in Medical Sciences from Japan in 1993. Being a post-graduate fellow from 1994-1996, worked as full faculty member at the Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Japan, from 1996-2008. In 2008, joined Toshiba General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan as Principal Investigator. Worked to elucidate pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma; subsequently developed therapeutic vaccine for HBV transgenic mice and now have been conducting pilot studies and clinical trials in patients with CHB with Therapeutic Vaccines for last one decade to optimize a safe, effective and clinical viable regimen of this approach in CHB patients. Have authored more than one hundred scientific articles in peer-reviewed journal. Associated with all major international and local liver organizations.

Immunology, Immune therapy, Heptatitis, Gastroenetrology, Hepatology, Dendritic cells.

XL Lin serves as Director of Market Development for Esco Group. He founded and manages the Esco Pharma Division within the Esco group of companies in 2009 developing the companies’ very first cGMP Downflow/Containment Booths and Isolation systems from Concept Development to Sales, Project management, site-work and validation. Under his leadership Esco Pharma has expanded from just a small division to now having 3 factories globally in USA/ UK and Singapore. He brings his unique skillset in social entrepreneurship, market development, strategic product development, global alliance networking, sales/contract management, clean air/containment facility and systems design / integration into VacciXcell. XL Lin graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences from University of Sydney he is currently pursuing various options for further studies.

New products, New markets, New technology, Networking with new potential hires with industry experience

Dr. Srivastava joined Protein Sciences in 2012 as Vice President, Product Realization. He has a strong background in vaccine development, particularly in immunogen design, purification, analytical and formulation development, and has published extensively in these areas. Dr. Srivastava served on the NIH special emphasis study section focused on vaccine development for ten years, and in 2011 he co-edited the book, "Development of Vaccines: From Discovery to Clinical Testing." Previously, Dr. Srivastava spent more than twelve years at Chiron Corporation/Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc. in various capacities, including Head (AI), Protein Biochemistry; Head, Vaccine Manufacturing; and Head, Protein Expression and Analytics. He also spent about two years at the Vaccine Research Center, a division of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he led the purification, analytical and formulation development of vaccine candidates for clinical evaluation. Prior to joining the biotechnology industry, Dr. Srivastava was an Assistant Professor of Research in Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He holds a Ph.D. from the Kanpur University, India and completed his post-doctoral training with Prof. Luc Perrin at the Hospital Cantonal, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Vaccine development

Dr. De-chu Christopher Tang is the Founder of VaxDome LLC and Vaxin Inc. (Vaxin’s nameplate was changed to Altimmune, Inc. in 2015). He obtained his PhD in Microbiology from Indiana University in 1989. He carried out his postdoctoral work at Baylor College of Medicine, Duke University, and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He joined the faculty at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 1994; subsequently founded Vaxin Inc. on UAB campus in 1997; and was responsible for Vaxin’s daily operation as the Chief Scientific Officer until 2012. Dr. Tang was one of the pioneers during the development of DNA vaccines, noninvasive skin-patch vaccines, adenovirus-vectored nasal vaccines, adenovirus-vectored poultry vaccines, as well as the protective innate-adaptive immunity duo platform technology. He received the Wallace H. Coulter Award for innovation and entrepreneurship in 2000; and Vaxin Inc. was selected as a Tech Museum Awards Laureate in 2007. Dr. Tang was selected as a Distinguished Overseas Scientist by the South Korea KOFST Brain Pool Program in 2012; subsequently joined Chung-Ang University and International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in Seoul; and was appointed as a Scientist at IVI after the Brain Pool Program Award expired in 2013. He founded VaxDome LLC in Birmingham, Alabama, USA in 2014.

His research focuses on development of the non-invasive drug-vaccine duo (DVD) platform technology that confers rapid-sustained-broad protection of vaccinees against pathogens, with neither the potential to induce drug resistance nor that to trigger harmful systemic inflammation.

Yuzhang Wu has completed his Ph.D for Immunology at the age of 29 years from Third Military Medical University School of Medicine. He is the director of the Institute of Immunology, PLA, the Chair of National Engineering Lab for Vaccine Development of China and National Center for Immunoproducts Research and Development of China. He has published more than 150 papers in reputed journals, applied for 75 international and national invention patents, among which 43 has been approved; and has gained 2 item of Computer software copyright. He is serving as chief-editor of Immunological Journal.

Immunology