One of the largest vaccine manufacturers in Latin America, Brazil’s Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, is the latest partner to join CEPI’s network of vaccine manufacturers in the Global South working to support faster and more equitable responses to future emerging infectious disease threats.

The inclusion of Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz in CEPI’s manufacturing network will significantly boost vaccine production efforts in the Latin American and Caribbean region, which will help increase the manufacturing capacity available to make vaccines in response to epidemic and pandemic threats.

With a US$17.9 million (approx. R$92 million) investment from CEPI, the organisations will collaborate to diversify Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz’s existing vaccine manufacturing capabilities by expanding new rapid-response mRNA and viral vector vaccine technology platforms against outbreak diseases. The funding will also optimise manufacturing processes and technological capabilities to strengthen regional vaccine supply, as well as enhance end-to-end capabilities such as ‘fill-and-finish’ of vaccines. Shortening the time taken to manufacture and validate the first batches of experimental vaccines will be key to enabling a response to an escalating outbreak within just 100 days—a goal embraced by the G7, G20 and industry leaders—and could help stop a future pandemic in its tracks.

The investment will build upon Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz’s track record of producing high-quality vaccines at scale, while expanding its existing ability to act as a manufacturing hub capable of swiftly supplying investigational vaccines to the region during a future outbreak.