On Jun. 15, 2020, Batavia Biosciences and Valneva announced a collaboration agreement to accelerate market-access of a low-cost inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). This work is supported under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

In 2019, Batavia received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to use its novel, low-cost vaccine manufacturing process HIP-Vax™, in combination with Nevoline™ manufacturing equipment developed by Univercells, to deliver clinical grade IPV bulks to selected Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers (DCVMs) for phase I/II clinical studies.

The IPV vaccine is based on the Sabin vaccine strains (sIPV), which Batavia has successfully obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Under the terms of the agreement, Valneva will manufacture the sIPV vaccine for clinical trial purposes in its state-of-the-art GMP polio manufacturing facility operated under GAPIII[2] polio containment in Solna, Sweden, using Batavia’s process. In return, Valneva will receive an upfront payment and monthly service fees.