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Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre
Background
In May 2000, JDRF and NHMRC announced $10 million of funding to be equally provided by both parties for the establishment of the Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre (DVDC).
The Centre is a commercially focused entity that bridges the gap between research and commercial product development. Its mission is to accelerate the development of one or more vaccines that would prevent or delay the progress of early onset diabetes, aiming to have clinical proof of concept in 3-5 years, with the studies conducted to a standard acceptable to regulatory agencies and an eventual industrial partner. Through work undertaken at remote sites worldwide, the Centre aims to:
- develop a vaccine or preventative immunotherapy approach for Type 1 diabetes, and create an infrastructure that will rapidly translate research on prevention of Type 1 diabetes from the laboratory to the clinic; and
- support the development or evaluation of vaccine candidates from other sources. The term 'vaccine' will include all immunotherapy approaches that preserve beta cell mass and function in people with new-onset diabetes, and/or have the potential to be used to prevent Type 1 diabetes in at-risk populations.
The DVDC, which was officially launched on 14 March 2003, operates within the Garvan Institute of Medical Research which acts as the Sponsoring Administering Institution.
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Mission Statement
To accelerate development of one or more vaccines that would delay progress of early onset diabetes, aiming to have proof of concept within 3-5 years, with the studies conducted to a standard acceptable to an eventual industrial partner.
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Aim
To produce a Type 1 diabetes vaccine/immunotherapy agent for general use by patients. The Centre aims to develop this product using the following resources:
- existing research and information;
- vaccine/immunotherapy candidates from Australian and international sources; and
- commissioned research.
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Goal
The specific goal of the Centre is the development of a vaccine or preventive immunotherapy for Type 1 diabetes.
The Centre will create an infrastructure to rapidly translate research on prevention of Type 1 diabetes from the laboratory to the clinic. The Centre may do research itself or vaccine/immunotherapy candidates from other sources may use the Centre.
The term vaccine will include all immunotherapy approaches that, in the first instance, preserve beta cell mass and function in people with new-onset diabetes; and, later, could be used to prevent Type 1 diabetes in identified at-risk populations.
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Role of the Centre
The Centre will take the lead in developing a vaccine or preventive immunotherapy for Type 1 diabetes. It will be a real and/or virtual critical mass of researchers, clinicians and others that will bring together all the crucial components of the vaccine/immunotherapy development process at the appropriate times to produce the desired results.
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Further information
For further information on the Centre, go to
The DVDC website: http://www.dvdc.org.au
The JDRF website: http://www.jdrf.org
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