Lassa Fever Vaccine Takes a Leap Forward with Phase 1 Trial

Lassa virus is primarily spread by rodents but can also be transmitted from person to person.

A Phase 1 clinical trial for a Lassa virus (LASV) vaccine has been developed by a team of researchers from Thomas Jefferson University, in collaboration with the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), at the Center of Vaccine Development and Global Health, UMB.

Lassa Fever / Lassa Hemorrhagic Fever
Lassa fever caused by the lassa virus is a severe and fatal hemorrhagic fever.

‘Did You Know?
An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 people are infected with the Lassa virus each year, leading to about 5,000 deaths. #LassaVirus #medindia’

Still No Vaccine for Lassa Virus

Currently, there are no approved vaccines against the Lassa virus. The clinical study is a dose-ranging study that will assess the safety and immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine for both the rabies virus and LASV.

Lassa Fever Vaccine to Enter Clinical Testing in Humans
There is no vaccine for the Lassa arenavirus. The hemorrhagic fever caused by the virus, endemic in West Africa, infects up to 300,000 people each year. Now, one potential vaccine candidate could prevent this fever.

Rabies Vaccine Offers New Hope Against Lassa Virus

The experimental vaccine is based on an attenuated and killed rabies virus vaccine similar to current rabies vaccines and has an additional LASV protein. Rabies vaccines are safe for all people, including pregnant women and children, and have been administered to millions of people worldwide with few side effects.

Lassa Fever Causes Death, Shows Rise in Global Infectious Disease Risk
New-born baby died last week with Lassa fever in the UK.

Lassa Virus: A Deadly Rodent-Borne Disease

Lassa virus causes a viral hemorrhagic disease that can be fatal and causes permanent hearing loss in 30% of survivors. Lassa virus is endemic in West Africa, and it has a reservoir in rodents. There are an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 human infections yearly, which cause about 5,000 deaths. In addition, person-to-person transmission of LASV has been described.

Notably, on October 28, 2024, a middle-aged resident of Iowa succumbed to the LASV-induced disease after returning from a trip to West Africa. This was the 9th case in the U.S since 1969.

The trial is currently enrolling healthy volunteers.

The candidate vaccine development is supported by a contract award from the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases HHSN272201700082C.

Source-Thomas Jefferson University

A Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail Protects Against Lassa Fever
A cocktail of three monoclonal antibodies can help protect against deadly Lassa virus fever (LASV) and can be neutralized various strains of LASV