With the launch of the MSD Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories, we start a new era of innovative vaccine development for low income countries. Based in India, the Hilleman Laboratories will harness the entrepreneurial spirit of a biotech company and create a sustainable organization with a not for profit mission.  We will develop a network of collaborations in the public and private sector in India and around the world to speed our success, and I am personally committed to working in close collaboration with the world’s global health community. Our strategy will focus on the four pillars of change – discovery, development, delivery and health diplomacy. 

We are excited to be based in India, where a combination of excellence in science and biotechnology provides promise for the development of 21^st century tools to address public health challenges.  We will expedite vaccine development by providing in-house technical support and state-of-the-art facilities. 

Our new enterprise is named in honor of Maurice Hilleman, PhD, the most prolific vaccine researcher in history.  (Read more about Dr. Hilleman ) The Wellcome Trust and MSD share the passion and vision Dr. Hilleman demonstrated for improving human health throughout his career and are to be congratulated for their commitment, innovation and valuable contributions.  

The opportunity to launch and lead the Hilleman Laboratories is significant for me personally and professionally, and I look forward to reaching out to colleagues in academia and industry who are engaged in vaccine development for developing countries. I also look forward to meeting and partnering with institutions that are involved in advancing this new global vaccine enterprise.  There are many challenges to overcome, but our collective goal is to save lives through vaccination at national levels, and the Hilleman Laboratories will be a committed partner by developing new and improved vaccines and technologies.

Yours in the struggle,

Altaf Lal, PhD, MSc