GlaxoSmithKline receives US government support for Ebola vaccine research

GlaxoSmithKline has agreed a new funding arrangement with the US government in order to accelerate its efforts to develop an Ebola vaccine candidate.

The US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has signed a contract to speed further development of GlaxoSmithKline's promising ChAd3 EBO-Z vaccine.

Sponsored by the ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the $12.9 million (8.28 million pounds) arrangement will support GlaxoSmithKline scientists in Philadelphia for 31 months, with options in place to provide an additional $16,000.

Using this money, the firm will establish and validate master cell banks and virus seeds and scale up its vaccine manufacturing process from the current pilot scale to a commercially viable level.

BARDA director Dr Robin Robinson said: "While we're encouraged that traditional public health measures and supportive medical care are starting to control the outbreak in west Africa, the need for vaccines and therapeutics remains an urgent priority."

This comes after GlaxoSmithKline helped to establish a new European consortium earlier this month to support its Ebola vaccine candidate development efforts.