The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced grants totaling $127.5 million in support of the development and accessibility of maternal vaccines for group B streptococcus (GBS) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), two of the leading causes of death for newborns and young infants in lower-income countries. 

A grant of $100 million will support the manufacture of Pfizer’s GBS vaccine for Phase 3 clinical trials and, if successful, World Health Organization prequalification. It also will help fund the development of an affordable multidose vial for delivery of the vaccine in lower-income countries via public-sector purchasers, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The second grant to Pfizer, of $27.5 million, will support the development of an affordable multidose vial for delivery of the RSV vaccine candidate in lower-income countries via public sector purchasers, including Gavi.

No vaccines currently exist for these infections, and treatment is too often out of reach in lower-income settings. The GBS vaccine candidate would also be the first developed primarily for use during pregnancy to prevent infections in newborns and young infants. The foundation grants will fund efforts to ensure the vaccines are accessible to pregnant women living in lower-income countries. 

According to the foundation, child deaths have been reduced by more than 60 percent since 1990, due in large part to vaccines. However, more than 45 percent of all deaths in children under age 5 occur within the first four weeks of life and the vast majority of those happen in low- and middle-income countries.

“Maternal immunization—vaccinating pregnant women who can then pass on lifesaving protection to their babies—is a powerful way to reduce newborn and infant mortality,” said Keith Klugman, director, pneumonia at the Gates Foundation. “However, for decades, innovation in this area has been underprioritized and underfunded, putting babies unnecessarily at risk for preventable infections. We are hopeful our investments in this promising pipeline of new maternal vaccines, including these two grants, will help infants in low-income settings have the best chance at life.” 

(Photo credit: Flickr/Marc Smith)