Built to address unknown future variants and capable of being rolled out in countries with low vaccine take-up, the Burnet vaccine platform is a success story of long-term research – made possible by generous donors.
We did it. Together.
What began as fundamental discovery research in the Burnet laboratories at the height of the COVID-19 crisis has now passed preclinical validation, a critical step on the way towards clinical trials with an industry partner that can help us deliver a universal vaccine for protection against the COVID-19 virus and its variants.
Never has it been more accurate to say that the research behind this cutting-edge innovation would simply not have been possible without support.
Back in 2021, a team led by Dr Andy Poumbourios and Professor Heidi Drummer engineered a spike protein they believed could be used to make stronger and longer-lasting COVID-19 vaccines, capable of beating back the surges of COVID-19 variants. The only reason they were able to pursue their discovery was because our dedicated donors stepped up to fund the ‘proof-of-concept’ work, generating the data that showed the engineered spike protein was capable of producing a superior antibody response.
That milestone led to a rapid expansion of the team’s work and the award of an mRNA Acceleration Program (mAP) Grant from the Government of Victoria to adapt our innovation to the mRNA vaccine platform, which has been achieved.
“From initial donor backing in 2021, the ongoing monthly donations of our Research Action Partners, and the 2023 fundraising drive, your donations enabled us to take our initial discovery research through critical research stages, and we are one step closer to creating a universal COVID vaccine. I cannot thank you enough for your faith in the team and our research,” said Andy.
Across 2022 and 2023, the team refined and strengthened the engineered spike protein, paving the way for future vaccines to be even more effective against current and future strains of COVID-19. They also proved the spike protein could be produced with a relatively simple two-step process, and stored at higher temperatures than existing vaccines. In short, it was more effective and more stable – a gamechanger for low- and middle-income countries where vaccination numbers are comparatively small and health budgets limited.
The team has also shown that the technology developed at Burnet can be applied to other coronaviruses with the potential to spill over from their animal reservoirs into humans thus preparing us for the next pandemic.
The next crucial step was to produce the data package required by potential industry partners ahead of clinical trials, regulatory approval and ultimately, production of the new vaccine. This ‘preclinical validation’ came with a hefty price tag, but our donors, many of whom had been part of this project almost from its inception, moved quickly to raise the necessary funds.
Throughout the early part of 2024, Andy, Heidi and the team were immersed in validation experiments, undertaken in collaboration with the Doherty Institute. Their findings were decisive, and a full patent application will be submitted in advance of approaches to commercial partners.
Burnet's vaccine platform, built to address unknown future variants and capable of being rolled out in countries where logistics have so far hampered vaccine take-up, is a success story of long-term research.
The commitment of our researchers was matched by the conviction of our donors who helped push the project through at critical points when lack of funding threatened to bring progress to a halt.
The reward is a body of work that has not only informed the development of a powerful vaccine platform for COVID and other coronaviruses with pandemic potential, but which also promises to deliver much-needed breakthroughs in the ongoing quest for highly effective malaria and hepatitis C vaccines.
It is an example of how our donors continue to come together with our outstanding researchers in a collective effort to make the world a safer, fairer place for all. Together, we are securing the future health of families and communities, here at home and across the globe.
Thank you so much for the role you played in making this possible, we simply couldn’t do it without you.
