Serum Institute Partners With Gates MRI to Develop Experimental Tuberculosis Vaccine - Video

A new TB vaccine could be the biggest breakthrough in over 100 years. The Serum Institute of India (SII) will manufacture the experimental M72/AS01E tuberculosis (TB) vaccine under an agreement with the Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI), marking a major step toward developing the first new TB vaccine in more than a century. The vaccine candidate is currently in Phase III clinical trials, while SII plans to invest over $100 million to expand manufacturing capacity ahead of regulatory approval. Under the agreement, Gates MRI will transfer the technology required to manufacture the vaccine antigen, while GSK will continue supplying the AS01E adjuvant, which boosts the body's immune response.

Tuberculosis remains the world's deadliest infectious disease, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting 11 million new cases and 1.23 million deaths in 2024. Countries including India, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Nigeria bear the highest burden. If approved, the vaccine could prevent 76 million TB cases, save 8.5 million lives, and reduce the financial burden on affected families by $41.5 billion over the next 25 years. Currently, BCG is the only widely used vaccine against tuberculosis, according to The Economic Times.