Advancing effective tuberculosis vaccines

The Collaboration for TB Vaccine Discovery (CTVD) was started in 2015 and has grown to include over 375 members from 86 different institutions worldwide. Based out of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, the international network's primary goal is to accelerate discovery and development of vaccines to prevent TB disease in adolescents and adults and thereby stop transmission to all age groups.

Sydney ID members including our Deputy Director, Professor Jamie Triccas, Professor Carl Feng and Dr Erica Stewart, an early and mid-career researcher (EMCR)—attended the exclusive invitation-only CTVD event hosted by the Gates Foundation in Seattle, which gathered 100 top experts from around the world.

The event focused on diverse tuberculosis (TB) vaccine strategies, including live attenuated, subunit, viral vector-based vaccines and mRNA vaccines. The group explored recent breakthroughs in these areas, addressing scientific hurdles and practical issues in translating research into effective clinical solutions. Discussions included regulatory challenges and potential funding streams, essential for advancing vaccine candidates through development stages. They also formed promising collaborations and underscored the need for data standardisation to support global research efforts. This engagement has equipped them with valuable insights and connections to advance their work in developing effective TB vaccines.