Sabin Vaccine Institute

What Sabin Vaccine Institute does

Sabin Vaccine Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in the early-to-mid 1990s and named in honor of Dr. Albert B. Sabin, developer of the oral polio vaccine. The institute operates with 51–100 employees across a portfolio spanning vaccine research and development, global immunization program delivery, vaccine acceptance research, and policy advocacy. Its core R&D focus is on filovirus vaccines, specifically the cAd3-Marburg and cAd3-Sudan Ebolavirus vaccine candidates built on the chimpanzee adenovirus type 3 (cAd3) viral vector platform originally developed by NIAID's Vaccine Research Center and Okairos, licensed from GSK in 2019. Both candidates are currently in Phase 2 clinical trials, with Phase 2 enrollment completed in March 2026.

Sabin's business model is non-commercial: rather than selling a product, it secures milestone-based, multi-year government contracts and philanthropic grants to fund R&D, training, and advocacy. BARDA is the largest single funder, having provided more than $250M cumulatively as of January 2025 across the Marburg and Sudan ebolavirus programs, including a contract worth up to $428M in total potential value. Other key funders include CEPI, the Wellcome Trust, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi, UNICEF, UNITAID, and the World Bank's Global Financing Facility. Beyond R&D, Sabin operates a portfolio of community and research programs including the Global HPV Consortium (cervical cancer elimination), the Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN, 800+ members across 27 countries), the Boost Community for frontline immunization professionals, the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), the Influenzer Initiative, and applied epidemiology training programs. The institute's distribution is partner-mediated: vaccines in its pipeline are deployed during outbreak response (Rwanda 2024, Ethiopia 2025) directly to ministries of health, while training, evidence, and advocacy products scale through WHO (HQ, AFRO, EMRO), PAHO, UNICEF, Gavi, Africa CDC, FIGO, and OAFLAD.

The institute's primary beneficiaries are low- and middle-income countries targeted for HPV vaccine introduction, typhoid control, and routine immunization strengthening, as well as immunization professionals and frontline health workers in those settings. Sabin's customer base in funder terms is concentrated in U.S. government sources (BARDA) but geographically diversified in beneficiary terms, with active programs spanning the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia, and a 139-country FIGO partnership footprint for HPV advocacy.

Name

Sabin Vaccine Institute

Legal name

The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute, Inc.

Website

https://sabin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sabin Vaccine Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that develops investigational filovirus vaccines (cAd3-Marburg and cAd3-Sudan Ebolavirus) and operates global immunization, vaccine acceptance, and HPV elimination programs for low- and middle-income countries, funded primarily by BARDA contracts and philanthropic grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vaccine Research and Global Immunization Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Infectious Disease & Pandemic Preparedness Vaccines (emerging pathogens) (HLAAAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA) (HLAAAEAD), Pandemic Preparedness & Rapid-Response Vaccines (HLAIAEAF), Immunization & Vaccine Delivery Programs (BPADAIAB)

Keywords

• Vaccine research development
• Global immunization programs
• Filovirus vaccine development
• Vaccine acceptance research
• Outbreak response vaccination

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Multi-year government contracts (BARDA): Long-horizon, milestone-based contracts with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for Marburg and Sudan Ebolavirus vaccine development; cumulative BARDA funding exceeded $250M as of January 2025, including a $214M Sudan Ebola contract with options up to $428M.
2. Philanthropic grants (CEPI): Grant funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance COVID-19 vaccine development via the cAd3 platform.
3. Philanthropic donations and grants (Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, Ready2Respond): Restricted and unrestricted contributions from philanthropic foundations and consortia (Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ready2Respond, Global Funders Consortium for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development) that fund clinical trials, fellowships, and advocacy programs.
4. Program grants from multilateral agencies (UNICEF, Gavi, UNITAID, World Bank GFF): Project-based funding and co-financing from multilateral partners supporting immunization strengthening, HPV vaccination, and typhoid control in low- and middle-income countries.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sabin Vaccine Institute develops investigational vaccines for filovirus outbreaks (Marburg and Sudan Ebolavirus) using the cAd3 viral vector platform licensed from GSK, currently in Phase 2 clinical trials. It also operates community-based global immunization programs and advocacy platforms, including the Boost Community, the Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN), the Coalition against Typhoid, the Global HPV Consortium, and the Applied Epidemiology Program, focused on strengthening routine immunization in low- and middle-income countries.

Product overview

Sabin Vaccine Institute operates a portfolio of vaccine research, global immunization, and advocacy programs organized around four core impact areas: Generating Evidence, Exploring Vaccine Acceptance, Strengthening Immunization Capacity, and Powering Vaccine R&D. Its investigational vaccine products are the cAd3-Marburg Vaccine and cAd3-Sudan Ebolavirus Vaccine, both based on GSK's proprietary chimpanzee-adenovirus type 3 (cAd3) platform and currently in Phase 2 clinical trials funded by multi-year BARDA contracts. Complementing the R&D portfolio are community-based programs including the Boost Community platform, the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), the Global HPV Consortium (with Sabin as secretariat), the Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN), and the Applied Epidemiology Program. Additional content and convening products include the Influenzer Initiative, the "Getting to Zero" interview series, the COVID-19 Recovery for Routine Immunization Programs Fellowship, the annual Sabin Awards, and surveillance studies such as the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project. Together, these offerings form an integrated platform combining vaccine development, evidence generation, community engagement, and global advocacy to extend vaccine access and innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global HPV Consortium: A collective of global partners seeking to accelerate the global effort to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, operating across the three pillars of vaccination, screening, and early treatment. Sabin serves as secretariat for the Consortium.
• Coalition against Typhoid (CaT)
• Boost Community
• Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN)
• Influenzer Initiative
• Sabin Awards

Products and services

• cAd3-Marburg Vaccine Investigational chimpanzee adenovirus type 3 (cAd3) vaccine candidate developed by Sabin to protect against Marburg virus disease, a filovirus with historical fatality rates of 24-88%. Currently in Phase 2 clinical trials, supported by BARDA contracts ($250M+ cumulative as of January 2025). Deployed for outbreak response in Rwanda (2024) and Ethiopia (2025, 640+ doses).
• cAd3-Sudan Ebolavirus Vaccine Investigational chimpanzee adenovirus type 3 (cAd3) vaccine candidate developed by Sabin to protect against Sudan ebolavirus disease, a filovirus with historical fatality rates of 41-100%. Currently in Phase 2 clinical trials, funded under multi-year BARDA contracts. Sabin did not pursue a separate Ebola Zaire vaccine since an approved product already exists.
• Boost Community Online community and storytelling initiative (Bright Spots) developed with immunization professionals to provide resources, connections, and trainings for those working in challenging immunization contexts, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) Global forum housed at Sabin connecting researchers, advocates, practitioners, and policy-makers to elevate typhoid, paratyphoid, and invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease as global health priorities; includes the biennial International Conference on Typhoid & Other Invasive Salmonelloses.
• Global HPV Consortium Transdisciplinary movement launched in September 2023 to prevent HPV infection and eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern by operating across vaccination, screening, and early treatment. Sabin serves as secretariat for the consortium.
• Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) Network of more than 800 multidisciplinary stakeholders from academic research, NGOs, and the policy, public health, and private sectors exploring factors that drive vaccine acceptance, demand, and vaccination uptake in low- and middle-income countries. Sabin provides global leadership in applying social and behavioral science insights.
• Applied Epidemiology Program Sabin's Applied Epidemiology program generates data-driven evidence on infectious disease spread, vaccine safety, immunogenicity, effectiveness, and impact to inform vaccine policy and decision-making; supports typhoid serosurveillance and country case studies in LMICs.
• Influenzer Initiative (Influenza Vaccine Innovation Program) Sabin's influenza-focused program aimed at catalyzing collaboration to accelerate innovation in a universal influenza vaccine capable of protecting against all strains of the disease; includes the IVI program and the "Influence of the Stars" documentary.
• COVID-19 Recovery for Routine Immunization Programs Fellowship Fellowship launched with WHO in May 2022 to rebuild routine immunization disrupted by COVID-19, strengthening capacity of national and sub-national immunization staff as part of WHO's 'Big Catch-Up' initiative.
• Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) Multi-phase surveillance project (Phases I-III) monitoring the burden of enteric fever (typhoid and paratyphoid) in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, including changes during the COVID-19 pandemic; data informed WHO's 2018 revised position paper on typhoid vaccination.

Quantifiable outcome

• $250M+ cumulative BARDA funding as of January 2025 for Marburg and Sudan Ebolavirus vaccine development
• +7 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• GSKflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGSK is the original owner/licensor of the cAd3 (chimpanzee adenovirus type 3) viral vector platform that Sabin uses to develop its Marburg and Sudan Ebolavirus vaccine candidates. The platform rights were licensed/acquired by Sabin and underpin its entire filovirus vaccine portfolio.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO collaborates with Sabin on vaccine R&D priorities and is referenced as a key global partner for the institute's filovirus and broader immunization programs.
• WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO Africa leadership (Dr. Matshidiso Moeti) is featured in Sabin's HPV content as a key partner for advancing HPV vaccine introduction and immunization across African countries.
• PAHO (Pan American Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa is featured in Sabin's HPV content; PAHO supports HPV vaccine introduction in the Americas, where 48 of 51 countries have introduced the HPV vaccine.
• WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO EMRO is a regional partner supporting Sabin's immunization and country case study work (e.g., Nepal) on vaccine-preventable disease surveillance.
• Africa CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica CDC is a strategic partner supporting Sabin's HPV vaccination and broader immunization initiatives across African Union member states, including Nigeria.
• FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIGO is a flagship partner for Sabin's HPV vaccine work, with a national society footprint spanning 139 countries, supporting physician advocacy and HPV vaccine introduction.
• Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSabin has a formal agreement with OAFLAD to advance immunization and HPV vaccination across Africa, leveraging the advocacy platform of African First Ladies.
• TogetHER for HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogetHER for Health is a partner in Sabin's HPV-related resources and advocacy work, focused on cervical cancer elimination and HPV vaccine access in LMICs.
• KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEMRI is referenced as a research partner in Sabin's HPV work in Kenya and is associated with mobile-clinic screening programs reaching tens of thousands of women.
• VillageReachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVillageReach is a partner in Sabin's applied epidemiology and immunization delivery work, with jointly authored technical papers on vaccine logistics and zero-dose children.
• Aspen Institute (Sabin–Aspen Vaccine Science and Policy Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSabin co-convenes the Vaccine Science and Policy Group with the Aspen Institute, bringing together senior leaders across science, industry, and policy to discuss vaccine innovation and equity.
• CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDRAP is a content partner with Sabin on the Getting to Zero podcast series covering vaccine and infectious disease topics.
• Stop TB PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStop TB Partnership is referenced as a collaborator in Sabin's immunization capacity-strengthening work alongside other global health partners.
• Pandemic Action NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPandemic Action Network is referenced as a partner in Sabin's broader pandemic preparedness and vaccine advocacy ecosystem.
• Ready2RespondminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReady2Respond is referenced as a partner/funding coalition in Sabin's outbreak response and immunization programs (e.g., Nursing Challenge).
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF is a strategic partner supporting Sabin's immunization and vaccine delivery programs for children in LMICs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Vaccine Institute (IVI): Non-profit international organization dedicated to vaccine research and development for global health. Most directly comparable peer in mission, scope, and grant-funded operating model.
• PATH: International non-profit global health organization focused on vaccine development and access in LMICs. Similar operating model with funding from government and philanthropic sources.
• Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital: Academic non-profit research center developing vaccines for global health. Similar mission and operating model; develops vaccines for neglected diseases including those affecting LMICs.
• Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI, formerly IDRI): Non-profit biotech developing vaccines and immune therapies for global health. Similar focus and comparable operational scale to Sabin.
• Bharat Biotech: Major Indian vaccine manufacturer with rotavirus and other vaccines. Commercial peer developing vaccines for similar disease areas, particularly rotavirus, at greater scale.
• Serum Institute of India: World's largest vaccine manufacturer by doses. Operates in similar disease areas including rotavirus, polio, and rubella. Commercial peer at significantly larger scale than Sabin.

Broad incumbents

• Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI): Larger non-profit funding vaccine R&D for epidemic threats. Sabin received $6.3M from CEPI for dose-optimizing trial. Strong partnership and partially overlapping mission.
• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: Public-private partnership that funds vaccine access in LMICs. Listed as Sabin's partner; operates at larger scale with similar mission of expanding vaccine access globally.
• World Health Organization (WHO): UN agency setting global vaccine policy and convening. Sabin partners with WHO regional offices; both organizations are central to the global vaccine policy and access ecosystem.

Others

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Major philanthropic funder of global health initiatives including vaccine R&D. Listed as a Sabin partner; the foundation funds multiple global health non-profits and convenes the global vaccine ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sabinvaccine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/sabinvaccine
• Facebookfacebook.com/sabinvaccine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sabin-vaccine-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/sabinvaccine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sabin Vaccine Institute