Sarmad Hanif, Independent Researcher, Vaccines and biotherapeutics
Sarmad Hanif, Independent Researcher, Vaccines and biotherapeutics
Biography
One Health professional and an infectious disease scientist with 15 years of industrial expertise (often) at the intersection of science and strategy. I have been working on the development of vaccines and biotherapeutics to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). My experience covers the design of bacterial and viral antigens development covering both upstream and downstream, and have performed its preclinical studies. I hold multiple patents, and 17 peer reviewed research articles of international repute. I am skilled in cross-functional collaboration and strategic portfolio expansion in line with World Health Organization (WHO) priorities, consistently driving product innovation and improving global health.
Interview
NanoSphere: Tell us a bit about yourself—your background, journey, and what led you to where you are today.
Sarmad: After my Ph.D in Biochemistry, I started my career with a purpose i.e. to utilize my knowledge and research to bring positive and equitable health outcomes. I preferred vaccines as I believe that vaccines are one of the most crucial and beneficial public health accomplishments, they are one of the most powerful tools for saving and protecting lives. I have always been very keen to read and learn as I believe that it can lead and generate new ideas which can be effectively implemented for equitable and positive health outcomes in the form of vaccines, having the ability to tackle the growing of problem of AMR. My research work comprises five components covering:
1. Bacterial Vaccines: Design and development of upstream and downstream processes for conjugate and protein-based vaccines targeting Neisseria meningitidis (serogroups A, B, C, Y, W, X), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Group B Streptococcus (GBS).
2. Preclinical studies: Developed in-house sera-based indirect ELISA assays and led preclinical studies for immunogenicity evaluation of vaccine candidates, enabling data-driven decision-making.
3. Biotherapeutics: Proactively worked on the development of therapeutic endolysin proteins targeting Escherichia coli (E. coli) based urinary tract infections (UTIs).
4. Viral Vaccines: Optimized the bioanalytical potency assays for Rotavirus vaccines. And designed peptide-based therapeutics targeting E6 and E7 genes for Human Papilloma Virus-18 (HPV 18).
5. Strategy Design: Managed national and international scientific alliances and strategic partnerships to expand the vaccine and biotherapeutics portfolios.
NanoSphere: From your experience developing serological immunoassays for bacterial vaccines, how do you envision nanocarriers enhancing immune profiling or improving vaccine immunogenicity against AMR pathogens? Considering your work across both upstream and downstream process development, where do you see the most urgent unmet need for nanotechnology integration in bacterial or viral vaccine platforms?
Sarmad: Nanocarriers have high potential for the making of next-generation vaccines. The immune response can be boosted through nanocarrier based vaccines making them more effective. The benefits of nanocarrier based vaccines are
· Better CD8+ T-cell response
· Improved delivery of both the adjuvant and the antigen
· Ability to carry nucleic acids, such as for mRNA vaccines
Several nanocarriers can be used for vaccine delivery. Examples include Liposomes, Bilosomes, Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) [PLGA], carbon nanoparticles, and nanogels. Moreover, some can even act as adjuvants. Specifically, for AMR pathogens, these kinds of vaccines can be suitable as they are biocompatible, stay in circulation longer, and can provide targeted delivery. Recent studies have shown positive results with a nanocarrier based vaccine against and AMR pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), wherein there has been an induction and a significant increase in poly functional CD4+, and CD8+ T-cells, as well as CD69+ B-cell subsets, and high antigen-specific antibody titers. More work can be performed to lower down the cost for the development of nanocarrier based vaccine products and formulations. The other important aspect where research may be done are the lipid nanoparticles which mostly require special storage conditions to prevent its disintegration, i.e. low temperature is required for its storage. I think more research can also be done on thermostability, it will be great to see mRNA-based vaccines that can be stable over a range of temperatures, as this would allow making the transport easy over long distances giving them increased shelf life, as well as making them more suitable for more equitable global usage.
NanoSphere: Given your dual roles in R&D and strategic consulting, how can nanomedicine startups better position themselves to contribute to global AMR initiatives, especially in LMIC (low- and middle-income country) settings?
Sarmad: One of the initiatives where startups can be a part of wherein they can fight against AMR is Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines (ABV), it is at the forefront combining equitable healthcare with innovation in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It’s based on the important pillars comprising equitable healthcare innovation, scientific advancement, and regional empowerment and capacity enhancement. ABV is committed to the making of life-saving vaccines and biologics more accessible LMICs. They have their work on global tuberculosis (TB) eradication initiatives by developing new and improved TB vaccines, which are highly needed. I consider this as a good example of strategy and collaboration, the hub in South Africa is a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for training and capacity building in mRNA vaccine development, is aimed at making LMICs self-sustaining in producing their own vaccines. This important initiative will not only lead to capacity, capability building but will also make them self-reliant because ABV is forging institutional partnerships with local universities, research centers, and biotech startups. These kinds of supports can help build biotechnological excellence where start-ups can better position themselves in contributing towards AMR initiatives.
Sarmad: One of the initiatives where startups can be a part of wherein they can fight against AMR is Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines (ABV), it is at the forefront combining equitable healthcare with innovation in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It’s based on the important pillars comprising equitable healthcare innovation, scientific advancement, and regional empowerment and capacity enhancement. ABV is committed to the making of life-saving vaccines and biologics more accessible LMICs. They have their work on global tuberculosis (TB) eradication initiatives by developing new and improved TB vaccines, which are highly needed. I consider this as a good example of strategy and collaboration, the hub in South Africa is a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for training and capacity building in mRNA vaccine development, is aimed at making LMICs self-sustaining in producing their own vaccines. This important initiative will not only lead to capacity, capability building but will also make them self-reliant because ABV is forging institutional partnerships with local universities, research centers, and biotech startups. These kinds of supports can help build biotechnological excellence where start-ups can better position themselves in contributing towards AMR initiatives.
NanoSphere: If there’s one key message or insight you’d like to share with readers about the future of nanomedicine, what would it be?
Sarmad: Future of nanomedicine is promising, however its effectiveness can be improved with further technical development. I am also of the viewpoint that collaboration and strategy are the two keys strengths to advance the equitable global usage and the same applies to nano based vaccines as well. Consider the example of the development of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A conjugate vaccine [MenAfriVac], it’s a successful model which involved [out of many], a successful technology transfer, and capacity building because of very good collaboration and strategy.
Sarmad: Future of nanomedicine is promising, however its effectiveness can be improved with further technical development. I am also of the viewpoint that collaboration and strategy are the two keys strengths to advance the equitable global usage and the same applies to nano based vaccines as well. Consider the example of the development of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A conjugate vaccine [MenAfriVac], it’s a successful model which involved [out of many], a successful technology transfer, and capacity building because of very good collaboration and strategy.
Sarmad`s references
- Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines: A Catalyst in mRNA Technology and LMIC Capacity Strengthening.
- AlQurashi, D.M.; AlQurashi, T.F.; Alam, R.I.; Shaikh, S.; Tarkistani, M.A.M. Advanced Nanoparticles in Combating Antibiotic Resistance: Current Innovations and Future Directions. J. Nanotheranostics 2025, 6, 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/jnt6020009
- Faizan Zarreen Simnani, Dibyangshee Singh, Paritosh Patel, Anmol Choudhury, Adrija Sinha, Aditya Nandi, Shailesh Kumar Samal, Suresh K. Verma, Pritam Kumar Panda, Nanocarrier vaccine therapeutics for global infectious and chronic diseases,
Materials Today,Volume 66, 2023, Pages 371-408, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2023.04.008. - Pozharov VP, Minko T. Nanotechnology-Based RNA Vaccines: Fundamentals, Advantages and Challenges. Pharmaceutics. 2023 Jan 5;15(1):194. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15010194.
- Szachniewicz MM, Neustrup MA, van den Eeden SJF, van Meijgaarden KE, Franken KLMC, van Veen S, Koning RI, Limpens RWAL, Geluk A, Bouwstra JA, Ottenhoff THM. Evaluation of PLGA, lipid-PLGA hybrid nanoparticles, and cationic pH-sensitive liposomes as tuberculosis vaccine delivery systems in a Mycobacterium tuberculosis challenge mouse model - A comparison. Int J Pharm. 2024 Dec 5;666:124842. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124842.
- Harnessing the potential of mRNA to overcome major healthcare challenges