Introduction

Comparing immune responses against different potential vaccine candidates is challenging. Biological variation and technical differences (how and where specimens are collected, transported, stored, and analyzed) impacts the quality and usefulness of the data produced and makes comparisons between measurements in individual laboratories difficult. Launched in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CEPI’s Centralised Laboratory Network (CLN) is the world’s largest network of vaccine testing laboratories.

It aims to support CEPI-supported developers and others to evaluate CEPI priority-pathogen vaccines against common protocols, to ensure alignment and information sharing when identifying the most promising candidates.

To date, the network has served over 60 vaccine developers to assess their vaccines candidates at all stages of developments, processing over 120,000 samples. The CLN has expanded in 2023 to 18 laboratories worldwide and the facilities will provide the same services to support vaccine development against one or more of CEPI’s priority diseases – Lassa virus, MERS, Nipah, and others. In the event of an outbreak of infectious disease, having an established global clinical laboratory network in place will facilitate faster data readouts by harmonizing analyses and reducing sample shipping times due to its worldwide footprint. To that end and in support of the 100 Days Mission, CEPI continues to expand the number and global footprint of laboratories within its centralized lab network.  

Laboratory

Location

Type of institution

Disease Experience

Contracted to work on

UKHSA

UK

Govt. Institute

SARS, Lassa, Nipah ,MERS, CCHF, Zika, Hantavirus, Influenza, Monkeypox virus, Ebola, Marburg

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

MHRA

UK

Govt. Institute

Lassa, Nipah, RVF, MERS, Chick, Ebola, Zika, CCHF

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

Nexelis, Q2 Solutions

Canada

Private

SARS, MERS, Chik, Nipah, Ebola

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

VisMederi

Italy

Private

SARS, Lassa, Influenza, Yellow Fever

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

Viroclinics

Netherland

Private

SARS, MERS, Influenza, RSV, Polio, Measles, Rabies, Deng

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

THSTI

India

Govt. Institute

SARS-CoV-2, Various Bacteria infections

SARS-CoV-2

ICMR

India

Govt. Institute

SARS, Chick, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, CCHF, Nipah, Zika, Ebola

New pathogens

Icddr,b

Bangladesh

Non-for profit

Influenza, Polio, Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Hepatitis B, SARS, Nipah

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

Q2 Solutions

China

Private

SARS, HIV

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

Synexa

South Africa

Private

SARS, HIV, TB, Malaria, Influenza, Hepatitis, CMV, EBV

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

KAVI

Kenya

Non-for profit

SARS, Chikungunya, Lassa, MERS, HIV, DENGUE RVF

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

IPD

Senegal

Non-for profit

SARS, RVF, Ebola, Chikc, Lassa, Ebola, Yellow fever, Marburg

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

UVRI

Uganda

Non-for profit

SARS, HIV, Ebola, Yellow Fever, RVF

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

UNAM

Mexico

Non-for profit

Ebola, Dengue, Zika, Rotavirus, Influenza

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

Charles River

USA

Private

CMV, Adenovirus, HIV, SARS-CoV2, HepB, VZV, Malaria, Dengue, Ebola

New pathogens

Doherty

Australia

Non-for profit

HIV, influenza, SARS, Paxamyxovirus (Nipah, Hendra), Chick, Ebola, MERS

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

Q2Solutions

USA

Private

 SARS-CoV-2 S ELISA

SARS-CoV-2 and new pathogens

NIFDC

China

Govt. Institute

SARS-Cov-2, HPV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, LASV, Ebola, Marburg, RVF, Nipah, SFTS, CHIKF

New pathogens

Recent Press releases

Charles River Laboratories joins CEPI's global vaccine assessment network | 7 December 2023

The CEPI centralized laboratory network for COVID-19 will help prepare for future outbreaks | 19 September 2023

Laboratory network to test vaccines against epidemic and pandemic diseases expands presence in Global South – CEPI | 30 May 2023

Webinars

Expanding the CEPI Centralized Laboratory Network - Webinar for the labs | 7 - 9 December 2021 | Presentation Material | Video Recording | Q&A | Transcript (in English)

Webinar 'Standardization of Immune Response Assays to COVID-19 Vaccines: A Year’s Experience Transferring Assays to a Global Network of Labs | 31 August 2021 |
Presentation Material | Report | Recording Part 1 - Lessons Learned | Recording Part 2 - The Future

Publications

Unifying global efforts by CEPI’s centralized laboratory network |Front. Immunol., 11 April 2024

Standardised quantitative assays for anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune response used in vaccine clinical trials by the CEPI Centralized Laboratory Network: a qualification analysis | The Lancet Microbe Volume 5, Issue 3, January 2024, Pages e216-e225

The CEPI centralized laboratory network for COVID-19 will help prepare for future outbreaks | Nature Medicine 19 September 2023

The CEPI centralised laboratory network: supporting COVID-19 vaccine development | 5 Jun 2021 | THE LANCET