Title: Adjuvants and vaccines a millenium evolution

Biography:

Nathalie Garcon, PharmD, PhD, is currently the chief executive (CEO) and scientific officer (CSO) of BIOASTER. She joined BIOASTER, the French technology research institute for infectiology and microbiology as chief scientific officer in July 2014. She conducted two PhDs, worked at the Royal Free Hospital in London, then moved to the USA at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and joined SmithKline Beecham Biologicals now GlaxoSmithKline vaccines in 1990. She moved from this position, to head of technologies, head of research, vice president, head of global research and north America RD; and vice president, head of the global adjuvants and delivery systems centre for vaccines. In her last role within GSK vaccines before joining BIOASTER, Dr Garçon hold the position of vice president, head of adjuvants and technologies innovation centre. She provided leadership within GSK Biologicals in the fields of new vaccines technologies, from discovery to registration and commercialisation. Nathalie Garçon is Vice President and Head of Global Adjuvant and technologies innovation centre at GSK vaccines. Dr Garçon is the 2014 laureate of the Stanley Plotkin award for vaccines and vaccine technologies. She has authored over 60 papers and book chapters, is the editor of several books, and sits at the scientific committee of several journals. She holds more than 100 patents.

Abstract

Since the first use of vaccination in the early 8th century to current time, vaccines have emerged as a biggest live saving intervention after clean water. Vaccines have followed an evolution following the evolution of technologies and scientific knowledge, and can be different in nature and purpose opening the door to their use not only to fight infectious diseases but also creating hope for the control and treatment of chronic disorders and cancer. Progresses in the understanding of the key role of the innate and adaptive immunity in the induction of protection to infection have had an impact on their design and the search for constant improvement of the efficacy and safety profile observed. Since the introduction of aluminium as the first adjuvant, several new adjuvants have been licensed in the context of various human vaccines. Their development has led to a new appreciation of the various steps to be undertaken to reach licensure, from research to licensure, including preclinical toxicology evaluation.The increased understanding of the innate and adaptive immune responses, host pathogen interactions, and the emergence of new and improved technologies over time, has shaped the way this was tackled, streamlined the necessary interaction required across the various bodies and expertise, providing a holistic approach to their development and licensure.This presentation will touch on the past, present and future of vaccines design.