As vaccine researchers, we’re in a very exciting time where we have the chance to discover new solutions that could dramatically improve human health worldwide. With rapid advances in cutting-edge science and technology, we’re able to engineer vaccines like never before. This unlocks potential to not only help protect against some of the most dangerous infectious diseases, but also to provide therapeutic solutions for conditions that were previously unimaginable.
In this age of exponential increase in knowledge, I’m regularly reminded of the simple beginnings of Edward Jenner's discovery. He is often called the father of immunology. It all started with one idea; an observation and a hypothesis that inspired a scientific revolution that has improved the health of billions of people globally and is viewed as one of the greatest public health interventions of all time.
The potential of a good idea is something that resonates with me, and something that we at GSK are passionate about. This is why I am particularly excited about this year’s BIO Convention and why I am fully embracing its theme: ‘It starts with one’. This celebrates the ideas, daily efforts and incremental progress that are vital to driving scientific innovation.
We’re looking forward to the opportunity to learn about the latest ideas and cutting-edge techniques. At the same time, we’re also excited about meeting with potential partners who could help us to take our research to a new level – because we know that when it comes to creating the vaccines of the future, no single organisation has all the answers.
Advancing vaccine science beyond infectious disease
At GSK, as a leading vaccines company, delivering over 2 million vaccine doses every day to people living in 158 countries worldwide, we’re committed to helping populations around the world to protect themselves from disease throughout their lives.
Last year alone, GSK invested £673 million in core vaccines R&D looking at how we can advance our understanding and ability to create new or improved vaccines. Together, our 2,500 dedicated vaccine scientists, working across three global R&D centres in Belgium, Italy and the US, have built a portfolio of more than 30 vaccines helping to protect people against 21 diseases. We have a pipeline with a number of candidate vaccines across all R&D stages.
At the heart of our success has been cutting-edge science and technology and collaborations with some of the world’s leading scientists and institutions. Currently, we have one of the broadest technology portfolios in life sciences, including adjuvant systems and self-amplifying messenger RNA (SAM) – which could potentially turn the human body into a factory producing its own vaccines.