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New partners strengthen local bid for HIV vaccine centre

By: Geoff Kirbyson

WINNIPEG — The International Centre for Infectious Diseases has unveiled details, including a high-powered group of partners, of its bid to bring an $88-million HIV vaccine manufacturing facility to Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg-based not-for-profit applied in March to the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, a joint project of the federal government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to build a one-of-a-kind facility dedicated to accelerating the production of promising vaccine candidates for the world's most deadly disease.

The proposed facility would be built on currently vacant land at Alexander Avenue and Arlington Street in Winnipeg's "BioMed" zone, adjacent to the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health and just blocks away from the University of Manitoba's medical school and the Health Sciences Centre.

The consortium partners include:

* The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the world's largest dedicated HIV vaccine research and development not-for-profit organization. TIME magazine recently named Dr. Seth Berkley, its president and CEO, as one of this year's "100 most influential people in the world."
* VIDO/InterVac, a world leader in research and development of vaccine and immunity-enhancing technology for humans and animals based out of Saskatoon.
* Canadian Trials Network, Canada's only HIV clinical trails network, which is based at the University of British Columbia.
* The University of Manitoba and the L'Université de Montréal, both leaders in HIV/AIDS vaccine research.

Terry Duguid, president and CEO of ICID, said the securing of such well-respected partners is a "huge win" for its bid, which is competing against proposals from London, Ont. and Laval, Que. The evaluations will take place in Ottawa shortly and a final decision is expected this fall. It will be another two to three years until the vaccine centre is built and running.

Previously announced partners include the Serum Institute of India, Ltd., the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, and Winnipeg-based Cangene Ltd., Canada's largest biotechnology firm.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

London Free Press on London proposal

Couldn't find info on proposals from Laval or Peterborough (see London article).