This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Phase 1 trial of West Nile virus vaccine begins
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A clinical trial of an investigational vaccine to protect against West Nile virus infection has begun, according to a press release from the NIH.
The HydroVax-001 vaccine, developed by Mark Slifka, PhD, and colleagues from the Oregon Health & Science University, is produced through a hydrogen peroxide-based process that inactivates the virus while maintaining immune system-triggering surface structures. The phase 1 trial will be conducted at Duke University, and researchers have received $7.2 million in funding from the NIH.
The trial will enroll 50 men and women aged 18 to 50 years to determine the vaccine candidate’s safety and efficacy. Participants will receive two intramuscular injections of either a low dose of the vaccine, a higher dose or a placebo.
Preclinical studies of the vaccine have been effective in protecting mice against lethal doses of West Nile virus, according to the press release. Trial enrollment is expected to be completed by December.
Anthony S. Fauci
“Since first appearing in the United States in 1999, West Nile virus has emerged as an important health threat in this country,” Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in the press release. “NIAID is committed to research efforts to advance a preventive vaccine that could protect people against West Nile virus infection.”
From 1999 to 2014, there have been 41,762 reported cases of West Nile virus in the U.S. and 1,765 deaths, according to the NIH.