The University of Oxford has launched a new clinical trial to test a vaccine against the deadly Nipah virus.
This is the first-in-human trial of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine, being developed by researchers at the University’s of Pandemic Sciences Institute. The new vaccine uses the same ChAdOx1 viral vector vaccine platform as that used to develop the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Fifty-one people aged 18 to 55 will participate in the trial, which is being led by the Oxford Vaccine Group within the Department for Paediatrics, and funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
Nipah virus is a devastating disease mostly found in South-East Asia that can be fatal in up to 75 percent of cases. This first-in-human trial of the vaccine comes as the global health community marks 25 years since the first Nipah virus outbreaks. There are still no approved vaccines or treatments for the disease. The disease is carried by fruit bats and may also be transmitted by contact with infected animals (such as pigs) or from person-to-person via close contact.
Nipah, which is recognised by the World Health Organization as a priority disease requiring urgent research, belongs to the same family of paramyxoviruses as more well-known pathogens like measles. Despite the first outbreaks of Nipah virus occurring 25 years ago in Malaysia and Singapore, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
“Nipah virus was first identified in 1998, and yet 25 years on the global health community still has no approved vaccines or treatments for this devastating disease. Due to the high mortality rate and the nature of Nipah virus transmission, the disease is identified as a priority pandemic pathogen. This vaccine trial is an important milestone in identifying a solution that could prevent local outbreaks occurring, while also helping the world prepare for a future global pandemic.”
Professor Brian Angus, the trial’s Principal Investigator and Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Centre for Clinical Tropical Medicine and Global Health
The project will run over the next 18 months, with further trials expected to follow in a Nipah-affected country.
The vaccine trial is a key part of the Pandemic Sciences Institute’s Henipavirus Programme, which is working with partners in endemic countries to develop practical tools that will ensure the world is better prepared for future outbreaks. This includes providing world-leading biomedical research and developing ethical frameworks to minimise stigma from the disease.
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