European Vaccine Alliance launches groundbreaking project in Siena!

European Vaccine Alliance launches groundbreaking project in Siena!

On May 22nd and 23rd, 2025, the opening event of the European Vaccines Hub for Pandemic Readiness (EVH) instead of. This important project is coordinated by the Italian non-governmental organization Sclavo Vaccines Association and includes a consortium of 11 beneficiary institutions and organizations from 7 countries. Leading EU pandemic preparedness organizations are also involved.

The EVH is supported by the European Authority for Crisis Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies (HERA) and the European Executive Agency for Health and Digital Affairs (HaDEA). The aim of the EVH is the development of vaccines for public health, including the integration of vaccine research and clinical trials.

Structure of the EVH

The EVH is divided into four pillars: The first pillar, “Discovery”, is led by the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena. The second pillar, “Preclinical Studies,” is led by the Institut Pasteur in France. The third pillar, “Clinical Studies,” is in the hands of Vaccinopolis at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, while the final pillar, “Manufacturing,” is coordinated by the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).

The EVH project is co-financed through the EU4Health program with an amount of around 102 million euros, with the estimated total project cost being around 170 million euros. What is particularly noteworthy is that around 21 million euros of the EU contribution will benefit German institutions under the DZIF umbrella, with DZIF also leading the “Manufacture and Regulation” pillar.

Collaboration and partnerships

The official kick-off meeting has over 160 participants, including representatives from the European Commission and national authorities. To improve pandemic preparedness, we are working with the European pandemic preparedness authority HERA to identify key priorities.

The partner institutions involved in the EVH include the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, the Institut Pasteur, the University of Antwerp and the DZIF. Other partners include the Center for Pandemic Vaccines and Therapeutics (ZEPAI) at the Paul Ehrlich Institute, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET) and the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Innovations in vaccine development

mRNA technology, which has been developed since the 1960s, has proven to be revolutionary, especially with the coronavirus pandemic. The first mRNA vaccine was approved in Europe in 2020, and the technology not only enables vaccination against COVID-19 but is also used in cancer research. For example, mRNA technology has been successfully tested against the HPV virus for cancer prevention reported.

In 1993, the first DNA vaccines for animals were approved, and in 2021, the first DNA vaccine for humans received approval in India. These vaccines have the potential for novel applications, for example against HIV. However, before DNA vaccines can be approved for humans in Europe, extensive clinical studies are required to demonstrate their safety and effectiveness.

In summary, it can be seen that developments in the field of vaccination are opening up new horizons through innovative techniques. With projects like EVH and advances in mRNA and DNA vaccine research, we are actively working on better pandemic preparation these are the statements various specialist articles.