The ICDDR,B has been selected as one of the five laboratories across the world to work together as part of a centralised network to reliably assess and compare immunological responses generated by COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

Being a reputed international health research institute, ICDDR,B is part of the laboratory network floated by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

CEPI on Friday announced the partnerships with five clinical sample testing laboratories to create a centralised global network to reliably assess and compare the immunological responses generated by COVID-19 vaccine candidates, according to press a release.

Located across multiple regions globally, the laboratories initially selected for this vaccine-assessment network are Nexelis (Canada) and Public Health England (PHE, UK), VisMederi Srl (Italy), Viroclinics-DDL (The Netherlands), ICDDR, B (formerly International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh), and Translational Health Sciences and Technological Institute (THSTI, India).

The network will use the same testing reagents—originating in the labs of Nexelis and PHE—and follow common protocols to measure the immunogenicity of multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates (both CEPI-funded and non-CEPI funded developers).

This approach will ensure uniformity in assessment and informed identification of the most promising vaccine candidates. CEPI was actively negotiating with additional laboratories to participate in this network, said the press release.