West Nile Virus Vaccine Enters Phase II Clinical Trials

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics on December 20, 2005

Acambis reached where no other company has yet: Phase II clinical trial for ChimeriVaxÃ-West Nile, its investigational vaccine against the West Nile Virus.

While most infections with the West Nile Virus exhibit mild symptoms, about 1 in 150 develop encephalitis which, in severe cases, may result to coma, paralysis or even death. There is, to date, no known vaccine or specific treatment for the West Nile disease. According to CDC, 2005 has seen a total of 2775 reported human cases (as of Dec 6, 2005) in the United States alone.

Acambis is optimistic on the efficacy of ChimeriVaxÃ-West Nile.

In a Phase I safety and immunogenicity trial of Acambis' West Nile virus vaccine, of the subjects who received ChimeriVax-West Nile, 96% in the high-dose group and 100% in the low-dose group developed high titres of West Nile-neutralising antibodies 28 days after vaccination.

In the meantime, protect yourself from the West Nile by avoiding mosquito bites, proffing your home and workplace against mosquitos, and engage your community in clean up and mosquito control programs.