A Marburg virus vaccine tested at Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) is progressing in clinical trials, moving a step closer towards becoming the world’s first vaccine against the deadly virus.
The Sabin Vaccine Institute recently announced it launched Phase 2 clinical trials of its Marburg virus vaccine, which will initially enroll 125 healthy volunteers in Uganda and Kenya. Early tests demonstrating the vaccine’s efficacy, safety and optimal dosage were completed at Texas Biomed and elsewhere in animal models, which are essential before any vaccine or therapy can be administered in humans.
“We have been partnering with Sabin since 2019 and are very excited to see their Marburg vaccine candidate move into Phase 2 clinical trials,” says Ricardo Carrion, Jr., PhD, the Director of Maximum Containment Contract Research at Texas Biomed. “An effective vaccine is critical to protect people from this deadly virus, especially as we see the frequency of outbreaks increasing in more places.”
Marburg virus is a part of the same filovirus family as Ebola virus and causes severe hemorrhagic fever. It is extremely deadly with up to a 90% fatality rate. Two outbreaks occurred earlier this year: an outbreak in Equatorial Guinea killed 12 out of 17 confirmed cases, with another 23 probable deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Tanzania also saw its first-ever Marburg outbreak, which killed six out of eight confirmed cases. First documented in 1967, Marburg has cropped up more than a dozen times over the past 56 years. There is no approved vaccine or treatment.