Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

The CEPI was formally established at a meeting of its stakeholders in London on August 30th.The CEPI is a new coalition of stakeholders from international organizations, governments, industry, public and philanthropic R&D funders, academia, NGOs and civil society groups who agreed to explore new ways of working to drive vaccine innovation to address public health threats, in alignment with the WHO Blueprint for R&D.

Several GloPID-R members are participating in the newly formed CEPI. Whether as interim CEO (John-Arne Røttingen of the Research Council of Norway), on the interim Board (the Wellcome Trust, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation); or as Observers (WHO) or participants in the stakeholders meeting (the Government of Canada).

The CEPI website went live on September 2.

Upcoming activities include:

• October 10: Panel discussion at World Health Summit, Berlin
• October 21: First Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting, New York
• Second Interim Board Meeting in India (date to be determined)
• First meeting of Joint Coordination Group (date to be determined)
• January 17-20, 2017: Launch Partnership at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland

On September 3rd, just a few days after the CEPI interim board was constituted, The Economist reported very positively on the new organization.