Currently, there are few therapeutic options for people who become infected with the Nipah virus. Rather, treatment is symptomatic. However, that may soon be changing. According to the European Pharmaceutical Review, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., in conjunction with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), developed an investigational Nipah virus vaccine called mRNA-1215. Recently, the NIAID began a clinical trial to explore the safety and tolerability of the vaccination.
What is Nipah Virus?
Nipah virus is a viral zoonotic disease which can affect both people and animals. Annual outbreaks tend to occur in areas throughout Asia. The CDC suggests that Nipah virus is fatal in around 40-70% of cases.
The virus is hosted by infected fruit bats, which can then spread the disease to other animals. Humans can become infected with the Nipah virus through close contact with an infected animal or its bodily fluids. In rarer cases, the virus can also spread from person-to-person. Symptoms associated with Nipah virus can include:
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Muscle pain
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Acute encephalitis (swelling of the brain)
- Atypical pneumonia or acute respiratory distress
- Seizures
- Coma
mRNA-1215: Understanding this Investigational Vaccine
According to the Phase 1 clinical trial page, mRNA-1215 is:
a novel mRNA vaccine that encodes for the secreted prefusion stabilized F component covalently linked to G monomer (pre-F/G) of Malaysian strain NiV, resulting in a post-expression trimerization.
Within this trial, researchers hope to evaluate the safety and tolerability of mRNA-1215. Additionally, researchers hope to learn how the vaccine improves or generates an immune response. Altogether, 40 healthy participants will enroll. The participants will be split into four cohorts with varying dosages: two 25µg doses for Cohort 1, 50µg doses for Cohort 2, and 100µg doses for Cohort 3. At the end of this portion of the study, researchers will determine the ideal dose for the fourth and final cohort. Over a 52-week period, researchers will study the participants to understand the vaccine’s effects.
