Oxford University Conducts First Human Clinical Trial of Nipah Virus Vaccine

Transmitted by fruit bats, the disease can also spread through contact with infected animals, such as pigs, or from person to person.

The University of Oxford has started the first human clinical trial of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine, intended to combat the dangerous Nipah virus. Developed by researchers at the University’s Pandemic Sciences Institute, this vaccine is part of the institution’s mission to discover practical solutions to global infectious disease threats.

In this pioneering trial, fifty-one participants aged between 18 and 55 will take part in research led by the Oxford Vaccine Group, under the Department of Paediatrics, and supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (I caught).

The Nipah virus can be fatal in approximately 75% of cases. Outbreaks have been reported in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India, with a recent outbreak in Kerala, India, in September 2023. Transmitted by fruit bats, the disease can also spread through contact with infected animals (such as pigs) or from person to person through close contact.

Although the World Health Organization recognizes Nipah as a priority disease that requires urgent research, 25 years after the first outbreaks there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

Professor Brian Angus, principal investigator of the trial and professor of infectious diseases at the Center for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, highlights the importance of this trial: “This vaccine trial is an important milestone in finding a solution that can prevent local outbreaks and at the same time helping the world prepare for a future global pandemic.”

Dr In-Kyu Yoon, Acting Executive Director of Vaccine Research and Development at CEPI, a major global funder of Nipah virus research, adds: “Nipah has epidemic potential, with its fruit bats found “in areas inhabited by more than two billion people. This trial is a step forward in efforts to develop protective tools against this deadly virus, and the insights gained could also inform the development of countermeasures for other Paramyxoviruses.”

The project will extend over the next 18 months, with the expectation of further trials in a country affected by Nipah.

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2024-01-16 08:14:05
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