A pioneering vaccine designed to combat the winter vomiting bug norovirus is to enter a year-long trial phase in the UK, following encouraging early results indicating a robust immune response. The first attempt anywhere in the world to develop a vaccine specifically targeting norovirus, which annually causes about 12,000 hospital admissions and exercises immense pressure on healthcare systems, especially during the winter months.
The Moderna vaccine uses the same kind of mRNA technology that the Covid-19 vaccines utilize. It targets the immune system to learn the identification and defeat a particular protein that norovirus is disguised as, and it is targeting three major strains of the said virus. Based on the results of the trials, this vaccine could hit the market by 2026.
The Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that he gives his strong support to the initiative and pointed out that norovirus already causes considerable burdens on the NHS annually in terms of costs attributed to the virus at around £100 million. “The UK is first in line to develop a world-first vaccine for this vomiting bug,” he said, pointing out the project as one giant step for public health.
The study, “Nova 30,” will enroll 2,500 participants across the 27 NHS sites, including primary care and general practice, as well as hospital settings. Participants will be followed up for an average of 25 months, and a minimum efficacy rate of 65% will be targeted. What is more remarkable, though, is that half of the participants will receive the placebo to ensure that the evaluation of the vaccine remains controlled.
As defined by chief investigator for this trial, Dr. Patrick Moore, the needs of managing outbreaks such as those experienced with norovirus are not only big public health problems but also big economic problems. He termed the step of this trial as an important next one in advancing healthcare solutions.
The survey participants are from other countries also, namely the US, Canada, and Japan, with plans of extending it into Australia and engaging around 25,000 participants worldwide.
If the vaccine is shown to be effective in adults, subsequent trials can begin using children. Prior to this, it will require approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA) and government recommendations by the government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization.
It is a necessity, as according to Moderna chief development officer Dr Melanie Ivarsson, “This is one of the first studies to assess whether a new preventive approach could work against a virus that challenges health systems all over the world.”
