India, July 17 -- image credit- freepik

The Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) has reached a milestone agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture M72/AS01E, a novel tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate.

Currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial, M72/AS01E has the potential to be the first new TB vaccine to be introduced in more than a century, a potential breakthrough against a disease that remains the world's leading infectious cause of death and disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries.

With this partnership, Gates MRI and SII will begin the process of transferring the technology and know-how required to manufacture the antigen and enable future large-scale production of M72/AS01E.

SII e...