Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to reduce illness and death caused
by infectious diseases. We often associate vaccines with childhood, but new
vaccination strategies have the potential to protect adults from cancer and
chronic diseases. This is thanks to emerging technology that helps turn
recombinant viruses (formed by recombining genetic material) into antigens and
immunotherapeutics. An antigen is any substance that causes the immune system to
produce antibodies; immunotherapy treats disease by inducing an immune response.
Research in these areas is expanding rapidly.
For these emerging technologies to have an impact, we need to be able to make
them. For that, we need access to production and purification processes that
meet the highest standards for manufacturing biologics, using cutting-edge
biotechnologies on a scale large enough for clinical evaluation.