Merck and NewLink Ebola vaccine trial begins
pharmafile | March 6, 2015 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Ebola, Merck, Vaccine, WHO, newlink, rVSV-EBOV
Merck and US-based biopharma firm NewLink Genetics’ investigational Ebola vaccine is being used in Phase III trials in West Africa.
Vaccine candidate rVSV-EBOV will be tested from tomorrow in Guinea where 2,141 Ebola deaths have been confirmed since March last year.
“We have worked hard to reach this point,” says The World Health Organizations’ (WHO) director-general Dr Margaret Chan.
“There has been massive mobilisation on the part of the affected countries and all partners to accelerate the development and availability of proven interventions. If a vaccine is found effective, it will be the first preventive tool against Ebola in history.”
rVSV-EBOV showed no major side effects in a much smaller WHO-requested trial on 34 volunteers recently.
“Effective Ebola vaccines will be a critical component of comprehensive prevention and control measures for people at risk of Ebola virus infection and to stem future outbreaks globally,” comments Dr Julie Gerberding, who is the president of Merck Vaccines.
The study will take place in the most severely affected parts of the country and test the rVSV-EBOV vaccine for efficacy and effectiveness in preventing the virus. The two firms have also announced a licensing and collaboration agreement which sees Merck granted the exclusive rights to rVSV-EBOV as well as any follow-on products.
The drug was originally developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and under the license arrangements the PHAC retains non-commercial rights to the medicine.
“Through our collaboration with NewLink, we hope to advance the public health response to this urgent international health priority,” adds Gerberding.
According to WHO 9,823 deaths have been confirmed since the Ebola outbreak began in March 2014. Liberia has been hit the hardest, making up 4,117 of the suspected deaths in West Africa – followed by Sierra Leone which has reported 3,565 fatalities since last year.
Tom Robinson
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