Background
WHO is targeting a 50% reduction in deaths and disabilities caused by snakebite envenoming (snakebite) by 2030. To achieve this, access to safe, effective and affordable antivenom in snakebite endemic countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, is critical.
WHO is exploring a pathway for prequalification of antivenoms and identified a need to develop Target Product Profiles (TPPs) to support optimisation of current and emerging products. WHO, in close collaboration with DNDi, will work on the development of TPPs for snake antivenom products for Sub-Saharan Africa and other snakebite endemic regions. Resulting TPPs will assist product standardization and guide more targeted research and development of antivenoms across the world.
In this context, WHO’s Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases is establishing a Technical Advisory Group with the functions listed below.
Functions of the Technical and Scientific Advisory Group on the Development of TPPs for Snake Antivenom Products
- Support the identification and development of necessary public-interest WHO TPPs for snake antivenom products targeting priority snakebite endemic regions of the world. The initial focus will be on delivering a WHO TPP for Sub-Saharan African Polyvalent Antivenom products.
- Provide technical advice, support inputs to specific documents through the multi-step TPP drafting and development process established by WHO.
- Define the list of other priority regions and associated TPPs for conventional antivenoms and other type of products for the treatment of snakebite to be developed by WHO. A minimum set of TPPs will be defined, making sure that these TPPs are adapted geographically and specific to endemic medically important venomous snakes.
Operations of the Technical and Scientific Advisory Group on the Development of TPPs for Snake Antivenom Products
The Advisory Group shall meet on a pre-scheduled regular basis, at least once each year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. Advisory Group meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference. The working language of the group will be English.
Who can express interest?
The Technical and Scientific Advisory Group on the Development of TPPs for Snake Antivenom Products will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to the development of TPPs for snake antivenom products. Approximately 15 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from scientists, public health and healthcare professionals, healthcare regulators, health system and disease programme managers, among other qualified professionals, with a minimum of 10 years’ demonstrated experience in one of the following areas, especially in low- to middle-income country (LMIC) settings:
- Development of TPP for therapeutics for Neglected Tropical Diseases;
- Biogeographical distribution, systematics and venomics of medically important snakes and the direct relevance of this to the treatment of snakebite or design, development and evaluation of antivenoms and other snakebite treatment;
- Development and manufacturing of animal plasma-derived antivenoms and other biologicals such as vaccines and human or bioengineered immunoglobulin products other therapeutic snakebite treatment products (e.g., repurposed drugs and small molecule therapies);
- Clinical management of snakebite envenoming in children and adults;
- Access to and affordability of biological medicines, including aspects related with marketing and pricing, supply, procurement and distribution, and post-marketing surveillance;
- Regulation, control, safety and licensing of biological medicines and associated products;
- Public health systems, policy, programme management and service delivery for snakebite or other Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Technical and Scientific Advisory Group on the Development of TPPs for Snake Antivenom Products, please submit the following documents by 28 May 2021 at 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time to Dimitra Kavalierou kavalieroud@who.int AND copying Rafael Ruiz de Castaneda ruizra@who.int and using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical and Scientific Advisory Group on the Development of TPPs for Snake Antivenom Products”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of a AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing TAG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to Dimitra Kavalierou kavalieroud@who.int AND copying Rafael Ruiz de Castaneda ruizra@who.int before 28 May 2021.