Volunteers are currently being sought in Japan, Canada, Australia and Britain for a clinical trial to develop the world’s first mRNA vaccine against norovirus. This involves a large-scale collaboration between the American biotech company Moderna and research centers in the mentioned countries.
The first two phases of the study were promising, said Patrick Moore, research leader in Great Britain. Previous administrations of the experimental vaccine, which, like many corona vaccines, is based on the new mRNA technology, have “shown very strong immune responses,” Moore told the media. Now we want to investigate the direct effect on the three most common norovirus strains.
Study designed for two years
Up to 25,000 adult subjects are expected to participate in the tests over the next two years. 50 percent of them should receive the mRNA active ingredient, the other half only a saline solution. Of course, those affected do not know what they have received.
Doran Fink, a researcher at Moderna, told the British newspaper ‘Guardian’ the following goal: “We would call an efficiency of at least 65 percent clinically significant.”
If the Phase III trial is also successful, Moderna plans to submit its application for approval in 2026. The normal testing process takes an average of one year.
Particularly dangerous for small children and the elderly
Noroviruses are contagious viruses that cause stomach flu. In the cold season, a seasonal increase in this infection can be observed; Infants and small children in particular are seriously affected. The symptoms disappear on their own after a few days. But in addition to infants and small children, the elderly or people with a weakened immune system can also become more seriously ill.
Source: Krone
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