Taiwan's Adimmune Corp. signs benefit-sharing agreement with WHO

Taipei, May 14 (CNA) Taiwan-based vaccine maker Adimmune Corp. on Tuesday said it has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) to receive early biological samples of emerging influenza variants.

In a press release, Adimmune said it had signed the pact, known as a Standard Material Transfer Agreement 2 (SMTA2) under the WHO's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework.

The contract will allow Adimmune to receive biological samples of new influenza viruses with pandemic potential from the WHO, thus giving it a head start on developing vaccines or antiviral drugs, the company said.

In return, the company said, it has agreed to provide a certain proportion of any vaccines or drugs it develops against the virus to the WHO as a donation or at a discounted price.

In signing the pact, Adimmune became the first Taiwanese pharmaceutical company to enter an influenza-related material transfer agreement with the WHO, and only the 14th worldwide, the company said.

Arthur Chen (陳宜民), director of the Taiwan Preventive Medicine Society, told CNA the agreement would benefit both sides, first by showing that Adimmune is fully in line with international standards.

It would also help the WHO, which is currently trying to boost production of avian influenza vaccines, send them to developing countries, he said.

As for Taiwan more broadly, the agreement guarantees that in the event of an influenza pandemic, Adimmune -- and later other domestic vaccine makers -- will receive biological samples as early as possible, thus improving the country's preparedness, Chen said.