Post by CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations)

Speeding up vaccine manufacturing isn’t just about production; it’s also about how quickly quality can be measured and assured. Today, testing critical quality attributes (CQAs) in RNA vaccine manufacturing can take several days, relying on multiple, sequential assays. This can slow down release timelines and add complexity to already time-sensitive processes. That’s why CEPI is providing around US$200,000 for a new seed project with USA-based Analysis Zero, a Recipharm company, to explore how Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) can be used as a real-time Process Analytical Technology (PAT). The approach integrates NMR directly into the manufacturing process, enabling simultaneous monitoring of multiple CQAs, in real time, rather than relying on slower, off-line testing. By reducing the need for specialised infrastructure and simplifying quality control, this kind of innovation could help accelerate vaccine release, lower costs, and support more accessible manufacturing—particularly in settings with limited analytical capacity. It’s a small but important step towards a bigger goal: building faster, more efficient and more equitable vaccine manufacturing systems for future outbreaks.