Chula Joins the University of Sheffield to Develop New UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub

Chulalongkorn University and the University of Sheffield, England, have signed an academic cooperation agreement (MOU) to develop research and education at the newly established UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub. The hub, initiated by the University of Sheffield with funding of 7.6 million pounds (approximately 336 million baht) aims to develop high-quality, easily accessible vaccines for prevalent diseases in Southeast Asia, including dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth disease, rabies, hepatitis, and tuberculosis.  

Supported by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN), the hub focuses on developing three types of vaccines –Protein Subunit Vaccine, Messenger RNA (mRNA) Vaccine and Viral Vector Vaccine. Its ultimate goal is to combat epidemics in both low-income and middle-income countries. 

The Vaccine Manufacturing Research Center, directed by Prof. Tuck Seng Wong Wong, Professor of Biomanufacturing at the University of Sheffield, and co-directed by Prof. Dr. Kiat Ruxrungtham from the Chula Vaccine Research Center (ChulaVRC), is collaborating with four networking universities in the United Kingdom (University of Sheffield, University of Cambridge, University of York, and University of Kent) and organizations in five countries (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia). 

Collaborating organizations include: 

• KinGen Biotech (Vaccine manufacturer, Thailand) 
• Baiya Phytopharm (Vaccine manufacturer, Thailand) 
• Pharmaniaga (Vaccine manufacturer, Malaysia) 
• Solution Biologics (Vaccine manufacturer, Malaysia) 
• Duopharma Biotech (Vaccine manufacturer, Malaysia) 
• Malaysia Genome and Vaccine Institute (National research institute, Malaysia) 
• Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (Governmental agency, the Philippines) 
• University of the Philippines Manila (University, the Philippines) 
• Pasteur Institute – Ho Chi Minh City (National research institute, Vietnam) 
• Bandung Institute of Technology (University, Indonesia)   

The University of Sheffield, renowned for its vaccine production research, has secured awards from various institutions. It also received funding from the Wellcome Leap R3 program to establish an mRNA vaccine production research center, aiming to enhance the vaccine production process for increased effectiveness. 

Resources from https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cbe/news/sheffield-lead-ps76-million-uk-south-east-asia-vaccine-manufacturing-research-hub and the Office of Research Affairs, Chulalongkorn University 

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