The University of Oxford has started a new clinical trial to develop a vaccine against the deadly Nipah virus.
The ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine is being developed by scientists at the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford. Moreoever, it is undergoing its first-in-human trial. The Oxford Vaccine Group will lead the experiment. It will include 51 participants between the ages of 18 and 55.
Fruit bats are carriers of the Nipah virus. Moreover, it can potentially spread through sexual contact or contact with infected animals (like pigs).
The virus is part of the same family of paramyxoviruses as more well-known illnesses like measles. In addition, the World Health Organization has designated it as a priority disease that requires immediate research. However, currentlyno licensed vaccinations or therapies for the Nipah virus are present, even though the initial outbreaks happened 25 years ago.
Professor Brian Angus, the trial’s principal investigator and a professor and reader in infectious diseases at the Center for Clinical Tropical Medicine and Global Health in the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine said,
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.
Dr. In-Kyu Yoon, acting executive director of vaccine research & development at CEPI, funder of the trial and among leading global funders of Nipah virus research, said
Nipah has epidemic potential, with its fruit bat hosts found in areas home to over two billion people. This trial is a step forward in efforts to build a suite of tools to protect against this killer virus. Knowledge gained could also inform development of other Paramyxovirus countermeasures.
The ChAdOx1 platform is used to make the Nipah virus vaccine. It was also used to create the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and has reportedly saved 6 million lives globally.
Over the following 18 months, the initiative will continue. Moreover, additional trials in a nation devastated by Nipah are anticipated.
