Page 101 - Technology and Innovation Journal - 19-1

INNOVATION SAVING LIVES 399

a colored dot similar to a pregnancy test. GestVision’s be introduced in routine immunization schedules
test kits are currently being used in clinical studies in sub-Saharan Africa. This will ensure that infants
around the world, including Bangladesh, Mexico, and are protected against meningitis and will maintain
South Africa under a grant to The Research Institute population-wide immunity.
at Nationwide Children’s Hospital from Saving Lives
at Birth, which is a collaboration of the United States Global Good Fund
Agency for International Development, the Gates Delivering vaccines to off-grid regions is com-
Foundation, and others to seek groundbreaking plicated by the need to keep them cold. The World
prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 25% to
women and newborns in poor, hard-to-reach com- 50% of global vaccines are wasted annually, much of
munities. Following initial research at Yale University, this due to problems with maintaining a refrigeration
GestVision was created to further develop the tech- “cold chain” during delivery. Researchers at Global
nology. GestVision is working on a manufacturing Good designed the Arktek cooler to keep vaccines
process to produce the kits in larger volume. cold for over a month with no power required. The
device combines an advanced design with high-effi-
Other Recipients ciency insulation materials to prevent heat transfer.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration The Global Good Fund managed by Intellectual
Meningitis A is a devastating disease afflicting 26 Ventures is dedicated to inventing technology that
countries in Africa’s meningitis belt, which extends improves lives in the developing world. They aim to
across sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, thousands develop sustainable commercialization models that
of people would die or be disabled each year, such ensure the technology is affordable, accessible, and
as the 1996-97 epidemic when 25,000 were killed appropriate for developing regions. Global Good
and a quarter million afflicted. The disease primar- donated 30 Arktek coolers to help the WHO deliver
ily afflicts young adults and children, leaving many vaccines during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and sent
wage earners with permanent brain damage. The other units to Nepal to assist with vaccinations after
Meningitis Vaccine Program (MVP) was formed by the 2015 earthquake. They have also collaborated
the health nonprofit PATH, the Gates Foundation, with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, PATH,
and the World Health Organization to combat this the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and other United
epidemic. Nations organizations to conduct field trials with
Besides regulating the safety of food and health over 50 devices in Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, and
products, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Nigeria. Arktek has been used to store vaccines for
(FDA) also conducts research on human health tuberculosis, polio, and the pentavalent vaccines cov-
issues. FDA scientists set out to create a better men- ering influenza, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis
ingitis vaccine production method for the MVP. The B, and diphtheria. The technology has been licensed
new technology they came up with raised the vaccine to a leading refrigeration manufacturer to produce
production yield from 20% to 60% and enabled the the device at scale for an affordable price.
vaccine to last up to four days without refrigera-
tion, unlike previous vaccines. The FDA licensed Honorable Mentions
the technology to the MVP and hosted production Honorable mentions are awarded to outstanding
scientists from MVP’s Indian manufacturer to teach projects with promising accomplishments. Honorable
them how to use the vaccine production technology. mentions in 2016 included Alere Inc. for developing
As a result, more than 235 million people in Africa’s diagnostic assays for rapid and early HIV diagnosis at
meningitis belt have been immunized with MenAfri- the point of care in low-resource settings and French
Vac® since 2010. Only four cases of meningitis A were pharmaceutical company Sanofi for researching
reported in 2013 in the immunized region, which new malaria drug candidates with shorter, simpler
covers 16 countries. In 2015, the World Health Orga- treatment regimens that can potentially counter the
nization (WHO) recommended that MenAfriVac® growing trend of drug resistance.