Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 23: A phase 1 randomised clinical trial of a new vaccine targeting the Nipah virus has shown encouraging results, raising hopes for preventing the often-fatal infection, according to a study led by researchers in the United States.
The trial found that all tested doses and regimens of the experimental vaccine, known as HeV-sG-V, were safe and capable of triggering an immune response. The findings were published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center said the vaccine generated antibodies within a month of administration, with immunity persisting when two doses were given. This, they noted, indicates strong potential for both outbreak response and preventive use in high-risk regions.
First identified in Malaysia in 1999, the Nipah virus continues to cause periodic outbreaks across South and Southeast Asia, including India. The disease is associated with high fatality rates ranging from 40 to 75 per cent. Due to its severity and lack of approved treatments or vaccines, the World Health Organization has classified Nipah as a priority pathogen.
Scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research–National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) described the trial results as a significant milestone in Nipah vaccine development in an accompanying editorial published in The Lancet.
The phase 1 study involved 192 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 49 years. While a single dose produced limited immunity, two doses proved effective, with the strongest immune response observed in participants who received two 100-microgram doses spaced 28 days apart. Neutralising antibody levels rose sharply within a week of the second dose.
Side effects were generally mild, with injection-site pain being the most common complaint. No serious adverse events, hospitalisations or deaths were reported during the trial.
Experts from ICMR-NIV have recommended advancing the vaccine to larger phase 2 trials to further assess its safety profile and determine the level of protection it can offer.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can lead to acute brain inflammation, severe respiratory illness and, in many cases, death, making the development of an effective vaccine a critical public health priority.