Hilleman Laboratories

About Hilleman Laboratories

Hilleman Laboratories operates as a non-profit research and development organization, structured as a joint venture between the pharmaceutical corporation Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and the global charitable foundation Wellcome Trust. Established in 2009, the entity is named in honor of Dr. Maurice Hilleman, a distinguished scientist at Merck credited with developing over 40 vaccines. The formation of Hilleman Laboratories represents a novel partnership model, combining the industrial R&D know-how of a major pharmaceutical company with the public health mission of a charitable foundation to address diseases affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The company's mission is to develop and deliver affordable, high-impact vaccines and biologics for diseases that are prevalent in developing nations but often neglected by commercial markets due to limited financial returns. Hilleman focuses on two main strategic areas: creating new vaccines for unmet needs and optimizing existing ones to be more suitable for resource-limited settings, for instance by improving thermostability to ease cold-chain requirements. The business model is designed to be sustainable, functioning with the efficiency of a business but reinvesting any income into its mission rather than distributing profits. Funding is derived from its founding partners, third-party grants, and future commercialization revenue.

Initially based in India, Hilleman Laboratories relocated its global headquarters to Singapore in 2021. This strategic move involved an investment of approximately $58 million to establish a comprehensive vaccine and biologics hub. This hub features a research and development facility in Biopolis and a 30,000-square-foot current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) pilot manufacturing plant. The integrated facilities provide end-to-end capabilities, from concept and preclinical studies to process development and manufacturing of clinical trial materials up to Phase II. This setup is designed to be agile, capable of pivoting to address pandemic emergencies for Singapore and the broader region. Dr. Raman Rao, who has over two decades of experience in vaccine R&D and commercialization, has served as CEO since February 2020.

Hilleman's product pipeline targets high-burden infectious diseases. A notable project is HILLCHOL®, a low-cost oral cholera vaccine developed through Phase II and subsequently licensed to Bharat Biotech for late-stage trials and manufacturing. Other key programs include developing vaccines for Shigella, enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), and a low-cost meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The organization also invests in advanced technology platforms like mRNA and circular RNA (circRNA) to accelerate vaccine development, collaborating with partners such as A*STAR to explore vaccines for pathogens like the Nipah virus.