The Wellcome Trust CEO Sir Mark Walport, Altaf P.Lal, CEO of the new initiative, and Merck CEO Richard T. Clark (pictured from left to right), were all present at the event.  They were joined by Dr. David Heymann, Chairman of the UK Health Protection Agency, who will lead the Hilleman Laboratories’ strategic advisory group.

The event allowed those spearheading the venture to speak to US, UK, and Indian-based audiences and address concerns shared by the larger global health community.  Sir Walport said, "It’s self-evident that what we need to do to develop vaccines for the developing world, where [they are] needed the most, is to combine the ingenuity of academia with the know-how and ability to make products... brought by industry... Clearly the products will have relevance for the whole world."

Other global health leaders echoed these sentiments.  Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was not present at the event but supported the initiative by stating that the Hilleman Laboratories could provide a "robust jump-start" for translational medicine in alleviating developing world diseases.

At the event, Dr. David Heymann commented on the decision to base the facilities in India, saying the Hilleman Laboratories will be able to harness "the great skills from Indian researchers and academics, and quite an established vaccine industry, which together can provide for the needs of developing countries".

Both parties involved in creating the exciting new venture noted that collaborating across sectors and disciplines will be critical to ensuring the success of the initiative. Going forward, Dr. Lal, with the guidance of Dr. Heymann, will begin to appoint key staff for the Laboratories, indentify members for the Strategic Advisory Group, and work with global health stakeholders to guide the direction and priorities of the research portfolio.