Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization

What Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization does

Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) is a University of Saskatchewan-affiliated non-profit research centre founded in 1975 and headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada. It operates as a vertically integrated infectious-disease R&D platform serving government, pharmaceutical, livestock, and global health clients, and has developed 8 commercial vaccines since inception, 6 of which are described as world-firsts. The organization pairs contract research and contract manufacturing services with an internal vaccine pipeline spanning COVAC-2 (COVID-19 subunit vaccine in Phase 1/2 trials, formulated with the proprietary Sepivac SWE adjuvant developed with Seppic and the Vaccine Formulation Institute), a contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) vaccine licensed for commercial production in Kenya, an Ebola polyclonal antibody therapy collaboration with AnGes, and preclinical programs on hantavirus and bat-borne viruses.

VIDO's core technological platform centers on subunit protein vaccine constructs, the proprietary Sepivac SWE adjuvant, and more than 60 proprietary animal models — including large-animal models unique in the field. The organization operates one of the largest Containment Level 3 Agriculture (CL3-Ag) research facilities globally inside its International Vaccine Centre (InterVac), with between CAD $144 million and CAD $225 million invested in containment infrastructure, and is constructing additional Containment Level 4 (CL4) laboratories expected to be federally certified by 2027. A pilot-scale vaccine manufacturing facility with up to 40 million doses-per-year capacity is being brought online for clinical and commercial production. The organization is ISO 9001 certified and certified by both PHAC and CFIA for handling Level 3 pathogens.

VIDO generates operating revenues through four principal streams: (1) contract research services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients using its containment facilities and animal models; (2) licensing, milestone, and technology transfer fees from vaccine IP, including the CBPP vaccine licensed to KEVEVAPI in Kenya and Sepivac SWE-adjuvanted products; (3) federal, provincial, and international grants — from sources including CEPI, the Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, Agriculture Development Fund, PHAC, and IDRC — supporting pandemic preparedness and vaccine R&D; and (4) emerging contract development and manufacturing revenue from the new pilot-scale facility. The organization also offers training programs at the master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels, with 60+ active students and 1,000+ personnel trained cumulatively, and is anchored by strategic partnerships with CEPI, PHAC, CFIA, IVI, ILRI/KALRO, the Pirbright Institute, the Vaccine Formulation Institute, NRC Canada, and NATO DIANA.

Name

Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization

Legal name

Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization

Website

https://vido.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

VIDO is a University of Saskatchewan non-profit research centre developing vaccines and contract research/manufacturing services for human and animal infectious diseases, leveraging proprietary adjuvants, 60+ animal models, and CL3-CL4 containment facilities for governments, pharma, and global health clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vaccine Research and Development Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Vaccine R&D, Clinical/Field Trials & Regulatory Affairs (HLAMAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Vaccines (HLAIAEAH), Vaccine Technology Platforms (Live, Inactivated, Subunit, Vector, mRNA/DNA) (HLAMAKAH), Vaccine Manufacturing & Contract Services (Veterinary Vaccine CDMO) (HLAMAKAI)

Keywords

• Vaccine development
• Infectious disease research
• Contract research services
• Pandemic preparedness
• Biomanufacturing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Services: VIDO offers contract research services to pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and government agencies for vaccine development, testing, and validation using their advanced containment facilities and expertise
2. Vaccine Development and Licensing: VIDO develops vaccines through to commercialization, having developed 8 commercial vaccines (6 world-firsts). Revenue comes from licensing deals, milestone payments, and technology transfer agreements
3. Government Funding and Grants: VIDO receives significant government funding from federal (Canada Foundation for Innovation, Innovation Saskatchewan), provincial, and international organizations (CEPI, IDRC) to support pandemic preparedness and vaccine research
4. Manufacturing Services: VIDO operates a pilot-scale vaccine manufacturing facility that can produce up to 40 million vaccine doses per year for facility certification and commercial production

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VIDO develops vaccines and technologies against infectious diseases for both humans and animals, operating as a University of Saskatchewan research centre. The organization offers contract research services, contract vaccine development and manufacturing, vaccine pipeline co-development opportunities, and academic training programs, leveraging its advanced CL3-CL4 containment facilities and proprietary adjuvant and animal model technologies.

Product overview

VIDO is a University of Saskatchewan research organization and global leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development for humans and animals. The organization operates as a unified research center offering contract research and manufacturing services, veterinary services, and training programs alongside its internal vaccine development pipeline. Their product portfolio includes multiple vaccine candidates including COVAC-2 for COVID-19, hantavirus vaccine in preclinical development, and commercialized animal vaccines such as the CBPP vaccine for African cattle. VIDO also provides pandemic preparedness research services and maintains advanced containment facilities (CL3-CL4) for high-risk pathogen research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VIDO Contract Research Services Contract research services for vaccine development, including preclinical testing, animal model development, and efficacy studies using VIDO's advanced containment facilities. Offered to pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and government agencies.
• VIDO Contract Development and Manufacturing Contract vaccine development and manufacturing services including GMP production and scale-up capabilities for clinical trial materials, leveraging a pilot-scale manufacturing facility capable of producing up to 40 million doses per year.
• COVAC-2 COVID-19 Vaccine VIDO's COVID-19 subunit vaccine candidate formulated with the proprietary Sepivac SWE adjuvant, containing purified viral proteins. Advanced to Phase 2 human clinical trials, with vaccine formulations that do not require ultra-cold storage temperatures.
• Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) Vaccine A vaccine against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia developed in partnership with KALRO and ILRI, licensed to KEVEVAPI for commercial production in Africa to protect African cattle from 'lung plague'.
• Ebola Polyclonal Antibody Therapy Collaborative project with AnGes using DNA vaccine technology to develop therapeutic equine polyclonal antibodies for Ebola virus treatment.
• Zika Virus Research Program

Quantifiable outcome

• First in Canada to isolate SARS-CoV-2 virus
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Canada's Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats (McMaster University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2021Formal scientific exchange partnership to accelerate vaccine and drug development, human clinical trials, and create new diagnostic tools for COVID-19 and future pandemics.
• Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEPI awarded VIDO approximately $6 million for COVID-19 variant vaccine development - CEPI's first award to a Canadian university. VIDO is the only Canadian academic institution with direct CEPI funding and is part of the CEPI Adjuvant Network.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOUs with CFIA for collaborations on SARS-CoV-2, ASF and HPAI (cattle). VIDO serves as emergency and surge backup for Government of Canada.
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOUs with PHAC for emergency and surge backup capacity. Collaborations on SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging infectious diseases.
• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) / Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric partnership developing contagious bovine pleuropneumonia prototype vaccine that was licensed for commercial production. Expanding into new research areas.
• International Vaccine Institute (IVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding global health partnership. Tuberculosis identified as a priority vaccine project. VIDO supported Canada joining IVI as a member country.
• The Pirbright InstitutecoreTechnology or IntegrationActive collaboration on ASF and B-cell repertoire research with scientist and training exchanges. Partnering on vaccine manufacturing assets.
• Vaccine Formulation Institute (VFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on COVID-19 vaccine development. First use of SEPIVAC SWE adjuvant in humans. Expanding collaboration to include additional key adjuvants.
• NATO DIANAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIDO awarded Canada's only biotech-focused test centre by NATO DIANA. Expanding role in defence-related research and international visibility.
• INTERCEPTOR (Global High-Containment Lab Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined global network of 19 high-containment labs to strengthen pandemic preparedness. Leveraging CL3-CL4 capabilities and vaccine expertise for coordinated international response.
• SeppiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench company that developed Sepivac SWE™ adjuvant in collaboration with VFI. Adjuvant used in VIDO's COVAC-2 COVID-19 vaccine.
• BiodextriscoreTechnology or IntegrationQuebec-based company that produced vaccine antigen under good manufacturing practices (GMP) using a cell line from the National Research Council of Canada.
• National Research Council of CanadacoreTechnology or IntegrationProvided cell line for antigen production at Biodextris. Collaborated with VIDO to advance COVID-19 vaccine development.
• Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Phase 1/Phase 2 clinical trials of COVAC-2 vaccine. CCfV conducted clinical testing in Halifax with 108 healthy volunteers.
• Innovation PlaceminorOthersScience and technology park adjacent to University of Saskatchewan where VIDO is situated as part of the dynamic bioscience cluster.
• Canadian Light SourcecoreTechnology or IntegrationCanada's only synchrotron. VIDO collaborates with CLS on research including N95 mask decontamination studies using X-ray imaging.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sabin Vaccine Institute: US-based non-profit vaccine R&D and advocacy organisation with a comparable focus on infectious disease preparedness and global health partnerships. Operates a similar translational vaccine development model with grant and partnership funding.
• Galveston National Laboratory (UTMB): University of Texas Medical Branch-operated CL3-CL4 high-containment lab focused on high-consequence pathogens and biodefense. Operates a near-identical infrastructure-and-mission profile to VIDO's InterVac facility.
• Rocky Mountain Laboratories (NIAID/NIH): NIH's intramural high-containment infectious disease research facility operating CL3-CL4 labs in Montana. Directly comparable to VIDO in scope of pathogen research, animal model capability, and translational vaccine/biologics programmes.
• The Pirbright Institute: UK-based world-leading veterinary infectious disease research institute operating CL3-CL4 high-containment facilities and focusing on livestock and zoonotic vaccines. VIDO's listed research partner on ASF, B-cell repertoire, and vaccine manufacturing assets, making it the closest comparable institution by mission and infrastructure.
• International Vaccine Institute (IVI): UN-established non-profit headquartered in Seoul focused on vaccines for global health, with a longstanding research partnership with VIDO (tuberculosis is a joint priority programme). Operates a comparable translational vaccine R&D model funded by governments and global health bodies.
• Texas Biomedical Research Institute: San Antonio-based non-profit operating one of the few privately-held CL3-CL4 infectious disease research facilities in the US. Closely comparable to VIDO in mission (high-consequence pathogen research, animal models) and non-profit academic structure.

Broad incumbents

• Emergent BioSolutions: US-based biodefense company offering contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services for vaccines and biologics in high-containment facilities. Overlaps with VIDO's contract development and manufacturing capabilities but at greater commercial scale.
• Novavax: US-based vaccine developer that commercialised a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine (Nuvaxovid), using the same recombinant subunit vaccine technology approach as VIDO's COVAC-2. Comparable in scientific approach but as a public commercial developer.
• IDT Biologika: German vaccine contract development and manufacturing organisation with high-containment (BSL-3/BSL-4) production capabilities. Directly comparable to VIDO's upcoming vaccine manufacturing facility offering, although operating at commercial scale.
• Bavarian Nordic: Danish-headquartered vaccine manufacturer with a biodefense and infectious disease portfolio including smallpox and Ebola vaccines. Comparable to VIDO in mission focus but as a fully-commercial, publicly-traded vaccine producer with global manufacturing scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VIDOInterVac
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VaccineandInfectiousDiseaseOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vaccine-and-infectious-disease-organization

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization