Under a new partnering agreement between Wageningen Bioveterinary Research and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), up to $12.5 million will be put to manufacturing, research and a phase 1 study of a single-dose vaccine for the Rift Valley fever virus.
The vaccine is made from the altered genome of the Rift Valley fever virus, which weakened it in the process and makes it a potential means for generating a lasting immune response against a proper dose of the disease. While vaccines for Rift Valley exist, they are only used in animals. With none currently licensed for human use, exposure leaves especially low-income and middle-income nations at risk of a disease that kills about one in every 100 people infected.
“This emerging virus has shown its ability to expand its habitat and cause public health emergencies,” CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett said. “We can and must develop a safe and effective human vaccine against this deadly virus to protect those people who are most at-risk and to improve global epidemic preparedness. We hope to achieve this goal through our partnership with Wageningen Bioveterinary Research.”
Scientists fear the potential for the virus to begin infecting humans via mosquito, though currently in humans it is mostly contracted through interaction with the blood or organs of infected animals. There is currently an ongoing outbreak on the island of Mayotte. Reports state that, as of May 2019, 129 human and 109 animal cases were confirmed on the Indian Ocean island.
The effort has the support of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, and Wageningen Bioveterinary Research will lead all efforts on the vaccine.