A team of researchers in Japan has announced a clinical trial to confirm a vaccine’s efficacy against the deadly Nipah virus in humans, for which there is currently no treatment.
NDTV reports that clinical trials of the vaccine candidate, developed at the University of Tokyo, will begin in Belgium in April, offering a potential breakthrough against a disease whose fatality rate is estimated to be between 40% and 75%.
India reported two confirmed cases of Nipah virus from West Bengal in January, and authorities have been on alert since then.
The scientists said the new vaccine is reportedly being developed by inserting a portion of the Nipah virus’s genetic information into the measles virus.
“When the vaccine is introduced in humans, antigen proteins similar to those of the Nipah virus are produced. The immune system’s response is seen strengthening the body’s defences, helping to prevent the onset of symptoms,” the report said, adding that the modified measles virus is widely used globally for measles vaccines.
The team has already established the jab’s efficacy and safety in animal trials with hamsters.
To confirm its safety in humans, the phase 1 clinical trial will involve 60 subjects.
Separately, a team from Oxford University began phase 2 clinical trials with a Nipah vaccine candidate in Bangladesh in December. About 300 people aged 18 to 55 are expected to participate.
Nipah virus infection has also been designated as a priority disease under the World Health Organisation’s Research and Development Blueprint.
NDTV article – Nipah Breakthrough: Japan To Begin First Human Vaccine Trial In April (Open access)
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