About Us
History & Company Overview
Founded by Dr. Pierre Druilhe in 2010 using a combination of private and public funding, Vac4All is a biotech company entirely dedicated to the development of vaccines against malaria, the most prevalent and deadly parasitic disease known to mankind.
Vac4All aims to develop safe vaccines that will protect populations of all ages against the deadliest form of malaria, caused by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, as well as be affordable and easy to distribute.
Its pipeline stands on decades of research conducted at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France.
Here, the company founder pursued a scientific strategy driven by interrogating human immunity to malaria (as opposed to malaria in animal models), which led to the discovery of his lead malaria vaccine antigens.
In doing so, he elucidated immune mechanisms believed to be responsible for human immunity. He then used these insights to guide the design and development of the company’s vaccines, including the establishment of in-house assays and tools to help Vac4All make sound decisions consistent with his founding scientific logic of using human immune responses as the guiding factor.
About Us
Mission & Vision
Vac4All was established by the company founder to develop malaria vaccines based on lead antigens discovered during his years of research at Institut Pasteur. The company remains 100% founder owned.
Vac4All’s mission is to develop highly effective vaccines that could reduce and eliminate malaria. With its three antigens, MSP3, LSA3 and LSA5, Vac4All is developing vaccines that will safely and effectively protect populations of all ages against the deadliest form of malaria.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to half of the world's population is at risk of malaria.
Vac4All vaccines respond to the full spectrum of unmet medical needs, from those faced by populations living in endemic areas to the individuals who travel or relocate to malaria-endemic areas each year. Vac4All's vision is for its vaccines to be widely affordable and available.
About Us
Our Team
Dr. Pierre DRUILHE
President / CSO / Founder
Dr. Pierre Druilhe is a physician, immunologist, parasitologist, inventor and entrepreneur. He started his research career at the Department of Tropical Medicine of the Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, where he initiated many first-of-a-kind malaria research experiments, including the first cultures of the pre-erythrocytic stages of the malaria parasites, characterization and cloning of P. falciparum liver stages antigens, and the investigation of natural immunity to malaria blood stages through passive transfer of African adult immunoglobulin in Thai individuals with malaria.
For over 20 years (1987-2011), he led the Laboratoire de Parasitologie Bio-Medicale at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, where he pursued his scientific strategy of analysis of immunity to malaria in humans and where he and his team made major discoveries, identified novel mechanisms, not foreseen in animal models, and important molecules believed to be responsible for malaria immunity in humans.
His work covers the wide breadth of vaccine research and development, including involvement in the organization and conduct of 8 vaccine clinical trials. He has authored around 330 Scientific Publications and holds more than 23 patents on inventions.
His main scientific interests have been and remain the analysis of host-parasite immune interactions in human beings, and the pre-eminence of clinical investigations over those performed in animal models.
In December 2010, using a combination of private funds and public grants, Dr. Druilhe created Vac4All with the aim of capitalizing on >25 years of experience in malaria research, and speeding-up malaria vaccine development.
Dr. Druilhe directs and oversees all company strategic, scientific and technical direction.
Dr. Zarifah REED
Medical, Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs Director
Dr. Zarifah REED is a U.S. Board-certified pediatrician and clinical development specialist with over 15 years’ experience in clinical research and development and a unique understanding of the values, demands, and expectations driving and influencing development in global health enterprises as well as the pharma and biotech industries.
Za has an extensive experience in:
- Designing and driving clinical development programs from lead optimization to proof-of-concept Phase 2b, including all aspects of clinical trials operational infrastructure.
- Analyzing, managing and communicating scientific, medical and public health issues related to the value, development, testing, use and delivery of vaccines and immunizations.
- Developing and managing programs involving diverse partners and stakeholders ranging from knowledge and opinion leaders, academic researchers, government agencies, global health enterprises, foundations and industry.
- Hands-on experience in the development of vaccines against infectious disease targets.
- Comprehensive knowledge of clinical trials, from design, clinical end-points validation, management of safety data, and ensuring data excellence on quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines aligned with ethics and regulatory requirements.
- Experience in design and execution of consultations with key opinion leaders, including medical and public health experts from public and private sectors on biomedical and public health issues, including most recently on the development of target product profiles for optimal positioning of products.
The team developed and operates Vac4All's novel human immunogenicity mouse model as well as all immunoassays in the evaluation of Vac4All's vaccine candidates.
Hasnaa BOUHAROUN-TAYOUN
Head of the Preclinical Development Team
- Soulaima CHAMAT
- Stephanie GHOSN
- Najibe BOU-ANTOUN ACHKAR
- Leila TAWK
- Catherine NAKHLE-GHANEM
Co-Director
Post Doc
Research Assistant
Research Assistant
Research Assistant
The founder has assembled a highly experienced list of carefully selected advisors, employed as part-time consultants, to provide guidance on the following aspects of the company
Strategy, Business Development & Commercialization
Ahmed BOUZIDI
Alain GUEDON
Alex MATTER
Peter WULFF
Preclinical Development, Manufacturing & Formulation
Andre TARTAR
Martin FRIEDE
Patrice DUBOIS
Epidemiology, Medical Need
& Clinical Research
Jean-François TRAPE
Ogobara DOUMBO - In Memoriam
Sodiomon SIRIMA
Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs
Elissa MALKIN
Special thanks to all the scientists who have contributed to the work that made Vac4All's vaccines possible
- Ludovic ARNOLD
- Edgar BADELL
- Gilles BANG
- LBachir BENMOHAMMED
- Catherine BLANC
- Emmanuel BOTTIUS
- Karima BRAHIMI
- Philippe BRASSEUR
- Lena-Juliette DAHER
- Pierre DAUBERSIES
- Soesoe DAW
- Corine DEMANGA
- David FIDOCK
- Benedicte GALEY
- Caroline GENTIL
- James GLEESON
- Anne-Charlotte GRUNER
- Claudine GUERIN-MARCHAND
- Armelle HEBERT
- Stephanie HEZ-DEROUBAIX
- Ali JAAFARSHAD
- Srisin KHUSMITH
- Arturo LONDONO
- Françoise LUNEL
- Dominique MAZIER
- Pedro MEJIA
- Sylvie MELLOUK
- Alicia MORENO
- Claude OEUVRAY
- Valerie PASQUETTO
- Jintana PATARAPOTIKUL
- Chimma PATTAMAWAN
- Jean-Louis PERIGNON
- Blanca Liliana PERLAZA
- Olivier PRADIER
- Eric PRIEUR
- Rosa-Maria PUEBLA
- Claudio TD RIBEIRO
- Christophe ROGIER
- Christian ROUSSILLON
- Selma SALLENAVE-SALES
- Jean Pierre SAUZET
- Subbash SINGH
- Georges SNOUNOU
- Claire SWETMAN
- Jean-Francois TRAPE
- Rajeev Kumar TYAGI
- Marie-Noelle UNGEHEUER
Additional participants in the researches
- George W. AGAK
- Patrice AGNAMEY
- Michel AIDOO
- Jean AKIANA
- Myriam AREVALO-HERRERA
- Georgette ARIBOT
- Achara ASAVANICH
- Regine AUDRAN
- Patrick AVE
- Saw Khin AYE
- Dapka BACCAM
- Volker BACKER
- Aissatou T. BALDE
- Jean Jacques BALLET
- Ripley BALLOU
- John BARNWELL
- Christian BAY
- Serena BATTAGLIA
- J. BAXTER
- Richard L. BEAUDOIN
- James BEESON
- Jacques BELGHITI
- Yasmine BELKAID
- M. BELMONTE
- Nathalie BERBIGUIER
- Samuel BOSOMPRAH
- Marc BOSSUS
- Christiane BOUCHIER
- Edith C. BOUGOUMA
- Hasnaa BOUHAROUN-TAYOUN
- Jean-Paul BOUTIN
- Ahmed BOUZIDI
- Olivier BRANDICOURT
- Christian BRECHOT
- Lars BREDMOSE
- Katja BRUNSTEDT
- Thierry BURNOUF
- Michel CACHAT
- Pape CAMARA
- Daniel CAMUS
- Daniel J. CARUCCI
- Angelica CASTELLANOS
- Ulrich CERTA
- Pornthep CHANTHAVANICH
- Yupin CHAROENVIT
- Jonathan A. CHAPPEL
- L. CHEDID
- Sokhna CHEIKH
- Laurent CHENE
- Jean-Paul CHIGOT
- Roma CHILENGI
- Tan Tan CHONGSUPHAJAISIDDHI
- Lars Harder CHRISTENSEN
- Joe COHEN
- David J. CONWAY
- Giampietro CORRADIN
- Simon COUSENS
- Steffen DANIELSEN
- Marion DANIS
- Claude DESGRANGES
- DC DESLANDES
- Charles DE TAISNE
- Amidou DIARRA
- Alioune DIEYE
- Mamadou DIOP
- Ogobara DOUMBOU
- Christine DUBEAUX
- Patrice DUBOIS
- Philippe DUBROUS
- Claude DURAND
- Jean-Paul DURAND
- Morten Hanefeld DZIEGIEL
- Andrea F. EGAN
- Wijnand ELING
- Judith E. EPSTEIN
- Freya FAWKES
- Ingrid FELGER
- Maria de Fatima FERREIRA-DA-CRUZ
- Frank FOLLMAN
- Filbert FRANCIS
- Geraldine FRANK
- Martin FRIEDE
- Robert M. FRIEDMAN
- Thierry FUSAI
- George S. GACHIHI
- Adama GANSANE
- Marc GENTILINI
- Samwel GESASE
- Carlo GIANNINI
- Sarah C. GILBERT
- Helene GRAS-MASSE
- Mitchell GROSS
- Christiane GUGUEN-GUILLOUZO
- Paul HAGAN
- Neil HALL
- Laurent HANNOUN
- Tranakchit HARINASUTA
- R. HEDSTROM
- Frederic HEITZ
- Socrates HERRERA
- Adrian V. S. HILL
- Wayne T. HOCKMEYER
- SL. HOFFMAN
- Anthony A. HOLDER
- Toshihiro HORII
- Michel HUERRE
- Nicole HURT
- Silvia HURTADO
- Hans ISRAELSEN
- Soren JEPSEN
- Stine G. JESSINGA
- TR. JONES
- Richard JOSSE
- Youssouf KABORE
- Andrey V. KAJAVA
- Amadou T. KONATE
- Ruud N.H KONINGS
- Dina KREMSDORF
- Shashi KUMAR
- Ajit LALVANI
- David E. LANAR
- Irene LANDAU
- Jan LANGERMANS
- P. LANGLOIS
- Gordon LANGSLEY
- Mai LEBASTARD
- M. LEEF
- Jean-Yves LE HESRAN
- Martha LEMNGE
- Jean-Paul LEPERS
- Odile LEROY
- Frank LETOURNEUR
- Estelle LOING
- Brett LOWE
- Floriana LUNATI
- Rasmus LUNDQUIST
- John PA LUSINGU
- Adrien J. F. LUTY
- Soren M. MADESN
- Radha K. MAHESHWARI
- Jean-Pascal MARC
- Aikawa MASAMICHI
- Hugues MATILE
- Pape A. MBAYE
- Odile MERCEREAU PUIJALON
- JFGM MEIS
- Jean-Baptiste MEYNARD
- René MIGLIANI
- Pascal MILLET
- François MILTGEN
- Daniel MINJA
- Inge MOELANS
- Barend MONS
- James S. MONTENEGRO
- Serbian MOROSAN
- Hubert MOUKANA
- Salum MSHAM
- Christine MÜLLER-GRAF
- Tabitha W. MWANGI
- Issa NEBIE
- Mouhamadou NDIAYE
- Leif Kofoed NIELSEN
- Ramadhani NOOR
- Limie Meng OKKELS
- Petur OLAFSSON
- Joseli OLIVEIRA-FERREIRA
- Benjamin OLLOMO
- Eve ORLANDI-PRADINES
- Faith OSIER
- D. OUATTARA
- Alphonse OUEDRAGOGO
- Andre Lin OUEDRAGOGO
- Esperance OUEDRAGOGO
- Julio Cesar PALOMINO
- Gerard PARENT
- Kovit PATTANAPANYASAT
- Kristell PENHOAT
- L. PERRIN
- Attanath PHANORSRI
- Sylvianne PIED
- Isabelle PLOTON
- Spencer D. POLLEY
- T. PONNUDURAI
- Christophe PONS
- Bruno PRADINES
- Gustavo QUINTERO
- Lucie RAHARIMALALA
- Georges RAPHENON
- Laurent RENIA
- Alice RHODES-FEUILLETTE
- Jack RICHARDS
- TL. RICHIE
- J. RINJARD
- Eleanor M. RILEY
- David J. ROBERTS
- Graham AW. ROOK
- Pierre ROUQUET
- Ronnatrai RUANGVEERAYUTH
- Acleus RUTTA
- Arunee SABCHAREON
- J. SACCI
- JL. SARTHOU
- Robert SAUERWEIN
- H. SCHELLEKENS
- Martha SEDEGHA
- Method D. SEGEJA
- Samwel SEMBUCHE
- Catherine SERVIS
- Misago SETH
- James A. SHERWOOD
- Julie A. SIMPSON
- Sodiomon B. SIRIMA
- Bas SLIERENDREGT
- S. SOE
- Issiaka SOULAMA
- François SPERTINI
- André SPIEGEL
- Panudda SRATONGNO
- Adama TALL
- André TARTAR
- Gaetan TEXIER
- AW. THOMAS
- Michael THEISEN
- Jiang TING HU
- Alfred B. TIONO
- Kaidoh TOSHIYUKI
- Abdoulay TRAORE
- J. TROSPER
- Alex VAN BELKUM
- PMCA. VAN EERD
- Nico VAN ROOIJEN
- Anais Zully VALENCIA
- Viviane VILLARD
- Jens VUUST
- Hitlon C. WHITTLE
- Jacqueline WUBBEN
- Jean Baptiste YARO
- J. YOUNG
- L. YUAN
- Constanza ZAPATA
About Us
Our Partners
Industrial Partnership
Vac4All brings the unique advantage of having entered into a joint agreement with Sanofi on the development of its vaccine pipeline. Having a partner with the critical expertise of late clinical development and market entry at this early stage sets Vac4All apart from most of its malaria vaccine competitors.
Crucial Partners
Furthermore, Vac4All also brings together in a consortium, a highly capable group of collaborators with the expertise, infrastructure and capacity needed to maximize the chances of success.
They have been selected to focus on each step of the value chain of development, with:
- A network of expert companies and individuals that support biotechnology endeavors and bring their specific expertise at various steps of the pipeline development, including contract manufacturing organizations and clinical research organizations, highly experienced in performing work that meets regulatory compliance. The selected companies include Confarma, Genscript, Proteogenix, Xpress, DNA 2.0, Provepharm, Ibet and Genibet, Baccinex, C-Ris Pharma, Citox, Q-Biologicals and many more.
- Experts in vaccine immunology analytics, clinical trials and biostatistics;
- A large network of clinicians with specific expertise to conduct ethically and regulatory-compliant clinical vaccine trials;
- Partners in Africa: these partners in particular are long-standing leaders in malaria vaccine trials and include groups with extensive and widely recognized expertise, including Sodiomon Sirima in Burkina Faso and Bernhards Ogutu in Kenya among others.
Reliance on this strong North-South set-up adds to our likelihood of success.
About Us
Our Investors
At the creation of Vac4All
- Funds from Sentinext Therapeutics (biotech company funded with Malaysian and US VC funds) led to a Proof-of-Concept Phase 2b efficacy trial with MSP3-LSP;
- A grant under European Commission FP7 program led to a First-in-human clinical trial of first-generation LSA5 prototype, PEBS.
Current Fundings
Major investor: Sanofi
Following a one year due diligence process over Vac4All’s program, including elaborating a clinical development roadmap, an agreement was signed with Sanofi Pasteur in August 2016 to initiate the development of Vac4All’s pipeline of 3 malaria vaccines up to proof-of-concept.
In addition to proven know-how and expertise in the development of new vaccines against infectious diseases, from research to clinical development and commercialization, the involvement of Sanofi Pasteur in the project guarantees that all activities will be conducted according to the regulatory and ethical requirements imposed by the European and International laws.
Future Fundings
We are seeking additional financial support and partners to develop our pipeline and achieve our aim to develop a highly effective, easily administered and affordable malaria vaccine.