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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 29, 2014 5:11 PM IST
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Tuesday welcomed the approval of a Swiss regulatory authority for a trial with an experimental Ebola vaccine at the Lausanne University Hospital. According to Swissmedic, which is the Swiss regulatory authority for therapeutic products, approval means the vaccine can be tested on approximately 120 individuals in Lausanne, Xinhua reported.
The trial, which is receiving support from WHO, is the latest in a series of trials that are ongoing in Mali, Britain and the US. The vaccine 'ChAd-Ebola', developed by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, consists of a virus that is rendered harmless and used as genetic carrier for one Ebola protein. (Read: Quarantine for Ebola what is it?)
The trial will test the safety of the vaccine and its capacity to induce an immune response, and will begin this week in Lausanne with the first results expected in December 2014. Results from the trial, together with the results of other centres involved, will provide the basis for planning subsequent trials involving several thousand participants and for choosing vaccine dose-level for efficacy trials. (Read: Ebola facts frequently asked questions (FAQ))
The trial is one of two in Switzerland coordinated by WHO. A second vaccine, rVSV-ZEBOV, will be tested at the Geneva University Hospital, concurrent with the Lausanne trial. 'These are dosing and safety trials being held in advance of phase II and III trials currently scheduled for late 2014-early 2015,' Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO assistant director-general, said in a statement. 'If shown to be safe and effective, either of the vaccines could be scaled up for production during the first quarter of next year, with millions of doses produced for wide distribution in high risk countries,' she added. (Read: 7 tips to prevent the spread of Ebola)
What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?
The Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe clinical condition that has threatened the entire world. It is caused by a virus of Filoviridae family. Although 5 types of Ebola virus have been identified, only four have been found to cause the disease in humans. The virus spreads easily through close contact with bodily fluids (like semen, saliva, blood and sweat), skin or objects (like needles or garments) of an infected person.
This disease that is highly infectious kills more than 90% of the individuals being infected with the virus (which means that the mortality rate of the Ebola disease is 90%). Hence only 10% of the individuals being infected with the virus survive i.e., the survival rate of the Ebola infection is only 10%. Read more about What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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