Vaccine and Drug Development Campus, established within the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, hosted an important meeting. Academicians from Selçuk University also participated in the ‘Scientific Response to COVID-19’ Project Information Day and ‘TÜBİTAK Vaccine and Drug Development Campus Promotion Program’.

“Scientific Response to COVID-19” Project Information Day and “TÜBİTAK Vaccine and Drug Development Campus Promotion Program” were held at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center. The program was held with participants, including the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Turkish Health Sciences Institute (TÜSEB), Covid-19 Türkiye Platform and high-level participants from a wide range of universities and pharmaceutical companies. Prof. Dr. Osman Erganiş, the Director of Vaccine Development Application and Research Center and lecturers Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nadir Koçak from the Faculty of Medicine and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aslı Balevi and Dr. Ayşegül İlban from the Faculty of Veterinary of Selçuk University attended the program that was also accompanied by TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal. 

TÜBİTAK Pharmaceutical and Vaccine Development Campus will provide infrastructure services to both academia and industry in biotechnological drug production. The campus consists of the National Biological and Chemical Testing Center and the Center of Excellence for Medical Biotechnology. While diagnostics, drugs and vaccines are developed in the Testing Center, the Center of Excellence produces the prepared molecules. The priority of the centers is to produce biotechnological drugs that form the basis of targeted therapy.

At the meeting at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, Selçuk University Vaccine Development Application and Research Center Director Prof. Dr. Osman Erganiş said that Türkiye's reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine projects that have reached a certain stage, the reasons for the disruptions, the difficulties encountered, the missing infrastructures, and the steps to be taken in case of a new pandemic were evaluated. Prof. Dr. Erganiş added, “During the pandemic period, we did not have a pilot production center with GMP (good manufacturing practices). When it was not available, we used public infrastructures in different places. In our country, there is now a GMP production center within the state. I think this place will be very useful.”