8 Aug 2025
The UK-based collaboration to accelerate development comes as the US has scaled back its vaccine funding.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
A new veterinary vaccine hub is partnering with a technology innovation centre to develop vaccines together.
The Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) signed a memorandum of understanding with CPI, a tech innovation centre with extensive experience in advanced vaccine technologies.
The partnership between the UK-based companies will initially focus on the development of RNA vaccine platforms for use in livestock.
RNA vaccines are regarded as being particularly effective for preventing and controlling livestock disease because of the speed and targeted nature of their development.
CPI’s RNA Centre of Excellence facility in Darlington is the only site in the UK capable of developing and manufacturing “lipid nanoparticle encapsulated” messenger and self-amplifying RNA vaccines.
It is hoped the shared knowledge and expertise could inform future human vaccine development as well as advancing veterinary vaccines.
Pirbright Institute director Bryan Charleston said the partnership is “exciting,” adding: “CPI’s expertise in RNA technology complements our deep understanding of livestock diseases.
“Together, we hope to accelerate the development of effective, scalable RNA vaccines for animal health.”
CPI’s director of biologics and the RNA Centre, Brendan Fish, said: “By bringing together the strengths of both organisations we are creating a collaborative force that is far greater than the sum of its parts – unlocking new and innovative vaccines for animal health and accelerating innovation in ways that neither could achieve alone.”
UK Research and Innovation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) executive chair Anne Ferguson-Smith said the partnership “demonstrates how effective public investment can accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into real-world solutions.”
She said: “Through our sustained investment in Pirbright and support for CVIM, BBSRC is proud to help strengthen the pipeline from discovery to deployment – advancing animal health, supporting rural economies and contributing to a One Health approach that benefits us all.”
The partnership comes as US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of 22 mRNA vaccine development projects receiving around $500 million in funding – including a bird flu vaccine contract with Moderna – a move widely panned by infectious disease experts.
A ground-breaking ceremony for CVIM was held in April at The Pirbright Institute research hub in Surrey, and it is expected to be operational early next year.
