June 3, 2026
IAVI joins international partnership to accelerate promising TB vaccine candidate in late-stage development
MTBVAC AVANTE offers crucial support to advance ongoing clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa.
On June 1, 2026, IAVI’s partner Biofabri announced the launch of the MTBVAC AVANTE consortium that will strengthen efforts to advance the clinical development of the MTBVAC tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate. Spanning four years and 12 partners, this international partnership is made possible by an €18.2 million award from Global Health EDCTP3, the European joint undertaking for clinical trials in developing countries. IAVI is honored to contribute to this expert initiative to accelerate clinical development and prepare the regulatory and policy framework for broad and equitable access to MTBVAC, should it be found safe and effective.
Under the name Advancing a Vaccine for Adolescent/Adult and Neonatal TB Epidemic (MTBVAC AVANTE), the project will support two major ongoing clinical trials in high TB burden regions across sub-Saharan Africa. The Phase 2b IMAGINE trial will evaluate MTBVAC’s ability to prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults living in endemic areas, while the Phase 3 MTBVACN3 trial will assess whether the vaccine offers improved protection for newborns compared with the existing BCG vaccine, including infants born to mothers with HIV.
“MTBVAC AVANTE represents a powerful example of how international collaborations can develop urgently needed health technologies with equitable access firmly at the center. Congratulations to all the partners for securing this opportunity to further advance the development of this promising TB vaccine candidate; and thank you to all the trial participants who make this work possible,” Kundai Chinyenze, IAVI’s strategic partnerships and Africa regional director, said in the press release. “We look forward to working together with all the partners in this exciting next step of MTBVAC’s development.”
In the Biofabri-led consortium, IAVI will take on scientific stewardship as well as coordination of regulatory, access, and communications activities. IAVI is also the sponsor of the IMAGINE trial, which is underway at 15 clinical research center partners in South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania.