The Oxford Vaccine Group has vaccinated the first volunteer in a first-in-human trial of a Lassa vaccine. This Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)-funded trial is being conducted in Oxford, with a second phase 1 trial due to start in Ghana early next year.
The study is of importance, given that the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Lassa fever as a priority pathogen in urgent need of research and development because it poses a significant public health risk due to its epidemic potential.
The trial has the aim to assess the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 Lassa vaccine. 31 people aged 18-55 will participate in the trial in total.
Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus, which is primarily spread by rodents and can result in serious illness including deafness, severe bleeding and even death. First discovered in the late 1960s in Nigeria, Lassa fever is endemic in West Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Lassa fever and related viruses as priority pathogens in urgent need of research and development because they pose a significant public health risk due to their potential to cause large outbreaks.
Lassa fever is usually initially spread to humans via contact with the urine or feces of an infected multimammate mouse.
Scientists estimate that up to 700 million people could live in regions at risk of Lassa fever by 2070, although there are currently no licensed vaccines or treatments for Lassa fever.
The new drug was developed by researchers at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, the vaccine is made using the same viral vector platform as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is estimated to have saved 6 million lives in its first year alone.
Commenting on the launch of the trial, Professor Maheshi Ramasamy, Chief Investigator of the trial at the Oxford Vaccine Group, says in a statement sent to Digital Journal: “Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have in global health: they save lives, stop outbreaks, and strengthen health systems, and so we’re delighted to start the VITAL01 Lassa fever vaccine study here in Oxford.”
Ramasamy adds: “Building on Oxford’s world-leading experience in developing vaccines for emerging infections and pandemics, including COVID-19, this study is a crucial step toward protecting vulnerable communities from the devastating impact of Lassa fever.”
CEPI also supported early preclinical development of the vaccine.
In addition to the launch of new clinical trials, plans to advance a Lassa vaccine to licensure are progressing through regional leadership and coordination by the Lassa fever Coalition. The consortium led by the West African Health Organization (WAHO), with support from CEPI and partners, is made up of West African leaders and public health experts working with vaccine makers to accelerate the development and future equitable introduction of Lassa fever vaccines across the affected region.
