Latest news with #IVI
Business Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
TriLink BioTechnologies® and the International Vaccine Institute Sign a Memorandum of Understanding to Support the Development of mRNA-based Vaccines
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, TriLink BioTechnologies (TriLink®), a Maravai® LifeSciences company (NASDAQ: MRVI) and global provider of life science reagents and services, and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a non-profit international organization devoted to and the discovery, development and delivery of vaccines for global health signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate to advance the research and development of mRNA-based vaccines and promote equitable access to essential vaccines and health technologies. "This collaboration will not only advance the science of mRNA-based vaccines but may also significantly enhance access to life-saving vaccines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs),' said Maravai and TriLink's Chief Commercial Officer, Becky Buzzeo. According to the terms of the MOU, TriLink and IVI will enter discussions on collaborative models to develop vaccines using mRNA technologies, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support joint scientific initiatives. "This collaboration will not only advance the science of mRNA-based vaccines but may also significantly enhance access to life-saving vaccines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs),' said Maravai and TriLink's Chief Commercial Officer, Becky Buzzeo. 'By combining our expertise in nucleic acids with the International Vaccine Institute's global reach and commitment to public health, we are poised to profoundly impact global health equity. Together, we can accelerate the development and distribution of innovative mRNA vaccines, ensuring that more people, regardless of their geographic location, have access to the critical healthcare they need." Since its launch in 2017, TriLink's CleanCap® capping technology has continued to advance the mRNA capping industry and is used in the majority of all approved COVID-19 mRNA and saRNA vaccines. In 2024, TriLink expanded its products and services specifically for customers working in mRNA therapeutics, launching IVT enzymes, including CleanScribe™ RNA polymerase, which has been shown to reduce dsRNA, and opened its commercially ready GMP manufacturing facility in San Diego, California. IVI, based in Seoul, Korea, is an autonomous international organization established in 1997 as an initiative of the United Nations Development Program. It is dedicated exclusively to vaccines for global health, with a portfolio spanning all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development. Its work focuses on infectious diseases of global health importance, particularly those that disproportionately affect LMICs, including cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, and COVID-19. 'IVI is pleased to partner with TriLink BioTechnologies, a leading provider of life science reagents and services, including its proprietary capping technology that enhances mRNA stability and translation efficiency,' said Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI. 'This collaboration will empower the two organizations and our partners to accelerate the development and global delivery of advanced mRNA vaccines, especially to people in LMICs.' About TriLink BioTechnologies TriLink BioTechnologies, a Maravai LifeSciences company, is a global leader in nucleic acid and mRNA solutions. TriLink delivers unrivaled chemical and biological experience, CDMO services, and high-quality readymade and custom materials, including its patented CleanCap® mRNA capping technology. Pharmaceutical leaders, biotech disruptors, and world governments depend on TriLink to meet their greatest challenges, from delivering the COVID-19 vaccine at warp speed to empowering innovative treatments in oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, and neurological disorders to enabling future pandemic response plans. For more information, visit About Maravai LifeSciences Maravai is a leading life sciences company providing critical products to enable the development of drug therapies, diagnostics, and novel vaccines. Maravai's companies are leaders in providing products and services in the fields of nucleic acid synthesis and biologics safety testing to many of the world's leading biopharmaceutical, vaccine, diagnostics, and cell and gene therapy companies. For more information about Maravai LifeSciences, visit About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health. IVI's current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world's first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that also achieved WHO prequalification in early 2024. IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 42 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, Austria, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit
Time Magazine
08-05-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
Nicaise Ndembi
More than 21,000 people in Africa contracted mpox in 2024—a bad number that could have been much worse without the help of Nicaise Ndembi, then head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and now the deputy director general of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). In his time at AfricaCDC, Ndembi led the continent-wide response to mpox—strengthening surveillance and screening and providing vaccines and medicinal therapeutics—and also established the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing, which created a framework for regional vaccine manufacturing and self-reliance. In his new role at the IVI, he will work to establish home-grown vaccine research and development, accelerating vaccine availability and distribution across Africa's 54 countries.
Int'l Business Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
How Private Investment Strategist Timi Barabas Revolutionizes Private Equity by Connecting Capital with Opportunity
Private equity has long operated behind fortress-like walls of intermediaries, gatekeepers, and protocols that add months to transactions and millions to costs. Then came activist and entrepreneur Timi Barabas, whose journey from non-English speaker to dealmaking innovator represents a fundamental challenge to this entrenched system. As senior partner and program director at Impact Ventures International (IVI), Barabas has revolutionized capital access by drastically reducing deal timelines and redefining possibilities in a traditionally rigid industry. "Most firms would take six months to make introductions happen. I just saved everyone half a year of their lives," affirms Timi Barabas . Her outlook connects investors directly with off-market investment opportunities, bypassing the lengthy process private equity investors face when sourcing deals. From Budapest Markets to Billion-Dollar Deals Timi Barabas' journey to becoming one of private equity's most innovative connectors began half a world away in Budapest, Hungary. At age 15, she immigrated to New Zealand without speaking English. Where many would see insurmountable barriers, Barabas saw only problems to solve. Within two years of arrival, despite still developing her English skills, she launched her first formal business—a caregiving and cleaning service that acquired 25 long-term clients in its first two months of operation. This pattern of turning obstacles into opportunities became her signature. By her early twenties, she had co-founded multiple businesses spanning technology, caregiving, and event management while building an extensive portfolio of non-profit work addressing causes from climate change to peace diplomacy. In 2023, she represented New Zealand at the APEC Multistakeholder Forum in San Francisco, one of only three delegates under 30 selected for this honor. Her cross-cultural fluency and growing reputation for connecting disparate worlds earned her the selection—a skill she soon applied to revolutionize private equity transactions. The Gatekeeper Problem To understand Barabas's work at IVI, one must first understand the problem she's solving. An elaborate, multi-layered system—comprising investment bankers, business brokers, consultants, and lawyers—typically governs traditional private equity deals. Each layer adds time, cost, and complexity. In the U.S. alone, the average mid-market business acquisition takes 9-12 months from initial contact to closing, with typical transaction costs often exceeding 10% of deal value. This can be a significant struggle for businesses of any size as it means thousands to millions in fees, even before launching. Moreover, this traditional system creates information asymmetry. When most deals reach potential buyers, they've been widely shopped, driving up prices and reducing potential returns. "Most investors are stuck looking at the same deals as everyone else," Barabas explains. "They waste time, money, and energy chasing opportunities already overpriced or oversaturated." Direct Access: The Barabas Method When Barabas joined Impact Ventures International in 2024, she brought a radically different perspective to deal-making. By early 2025, she had become Senior Partner of IVI and Program Director of VentureMax360, the firm's flagship program for scaling and selling mid-market companies. Her method centers on what she calls "direct market access." It connects business owners with IVI's VentureMax360 program, which focuses on growing and scaling a business to prepare for selling within a two+ year timeline. Then, Barabas connects them with potential partners and investors to create a smooth and efficient transition. This process eliminates the need to shop deals around for months and reduces delays in decision-making, thus making it easy for investors to buy functional businesses in a timely manner. "Most private equity professionals wait for deals to surface—I create them," Barabas mentions. "Traditional firms navigate layers of brokers and gatekeepers—I eliminate those delays by providing direct access to decision-makers." Her technique leverages a global relationship network that spans five continents, carefully cultivated through years of cross-cultural business development. This extensive network allows her to identify opportunities long before they become visible to traditional market participants. IVI's technology integrates CEPA-certified exit planning, VM360's scaling strategies, and IVSS Digital Office automation to identify high-potential businesses before they hit the market. What sets Barabas' method apart is her relentless focus and emphasis on speed-based execution. She acts quickly when a potential match is found, arranging discussions within days. Using AI, automation, and direct market access, she accelerates transactions far beyond traditional private equity timelines. The results speak for themselves. Barabas has worked with dozens of high-value private equity clients in the past two years, supporting private equity deal flow and client strategies in the 8-9 figure range. The Global Expansion What makes Barabas' slant particularly powerful is its global reach. While traditional private equity remains siloed mainly by geography, IVI's direct access model operates across borders. The company maintains active deal flow across Singapore, Malaysia, Africa, Canada, and the U.S., with plans to expand into Monaco and the U.K. within 12 months. "Private equity professionals often create artificial geographical barriers," Barabas says. "Capital doesn't recognize borders, and neither should deal-making." This global outlook provides another competitive advantage: cultural translation. Having navigated her own cross-cultural journey, Barabas has developed an unusual facility for bridging communication gaps that often derail international deals. The Dealmaker's Future Her direct-access model democratizes opportunity by preserving proficiency while removing unnecessary barriers in a gatekeeper-driven global economy. For Barabas, the direct-access model represents only the beginning of a more significant transformation in how capital connects with opportunity globally. Barabas' long-term vision is to scale IVI's method into "a global force for private equity matchmaking" and make way for private equity's potential future: faster, more direct, and oriented around relationships rather than institutions. "How long would it take you to get a meeting with the owner of a multi-million-dollar company willing to sell? Months? Years? Never?" she asks. "At IVI, I make those connections happen quickly and efficiently, certifying that our clients get first access to the highest-value deals—before they ever go public." The young woman who could not speak English upon arriving in New Zealand has built her career by breaking down walls between investors, entrepreneurs, and opportunities. In doing so, she's demonstrating that sometimes, the most valuable innovation is not a technology or product but a reimagining of how we connect. Private equity has always been about connecting capital with opportunity. With Impact Ventures International, Timi Barabas is turning outdated systems on their head—empowering investors with direct access and entrepreneurs with real outcomes.
Broadcast Pro
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
StarzPlay premieres historical drama ‘El Turco' starring Can Yaman
The six-episode series features a starry cast of actors from nine countries, combining history, action-adventure and romance. SVOD platform StarzPlay has launched the exclusive Middle East and North Africa (MENA) premiere of El Turco, a six-episode period drama starring Turkish actor Can Yaman. Inspired by real events, El Turco tells the story of Balaban Hasan, an Ottoman Janissary portrayed by Yaman, who is wounded and separated from his army following the 17th-century Siege of Vienna. Stranded in a quiet Italian village, Hasan hides under the guise of a local craftsman. But a life-altering revelation soon propels him into a turbulent path of rebellion, mystery and heroism. The series is a production of Turkish powerhouse Ay Yapim and showcases a multinational cast from nine countries. It is penned by Kerem Deren and Çişil Hazal Tenim, directed by Uluç Bayraktar (Ten Days of a Bad Man), with production design by Domenico Sica (Wonder Woman) and costumes by Carlo Poggioli (The New Pope). While El Turco is streaming exclusively on StarzPlay in MENA, its global rollout is already generating international buzz. It premiered on Voyo in Romania, IVI in Russia, and Globoplay in Brazil, with additional launches on Teleonce in Honduras and Gaın in Turkey on April 2.
