The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Presents Latest Updates on Ebola Vaccines in Development

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National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Mar 10, 2015, 06:00 ET


Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) March 10, 2015 -- The 18th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), will feature a special closing session at 3:00 PM ET on April 15, 2015 to discuss worldwide collaborative efforts to accelerate development, clinical trials and the regulatory approval process for Ebola vaccines.

The West African Ebola virus disease epidemic has alerted the world to the catastrophic impact that infectious diseases can have. The lack of preparedness and available vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat Ebola emphasize the need for a global public-private partnership between industry, government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to best solve global health crises.

"Updates on Ebola Vaccines in Development," co-sponsored by NFID and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), will include the following panelists:

  • Ripley Ballou, MD, Head of Ebola Vaccine Research, GlaxoSmithKline
  • Mark Feinberg, MD, Vice President and Chief Public Health and Science Officer, Merck Vaccines
  • Greg Glenn, MD, Senior Vice President Research and Development, Novavax
  • Marion Gruber, PhD, Director, Office of Vaccines, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Michael G. Kurilla, MD, PhD, Director, Office of BioDefense, Research Resources, and Translational Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Hanneke Schuitemaker, PhD, Senior Vice President, Viral Vaccine Discovery, Johnson & Johnson

Panelists will discuss efforts to accelerate development of an Ebola vaccine, as well as the most significant scientific and clinical successes and barriers, lessons learned from past and present extreme health events and the organizations (national and international) that are instrumental to accelerating development during a public health emergency.

For additional information about the 18th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, visit http://www.nfid.org/acvr. Credentialed
members of the media should contact Ellyn Terry at eterry(at)nfid(dot)org to register.

About NFID
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1973 dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the causes, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases across the lifespan.

About BIO
BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers, and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial, and environmental biotechnology products.

Ellyn Terry, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, http://www.nfid.org, +1 (301) 656-0003 Ext: 13, [email protected]