Consortium in quest for ‘single shot’ bivalent Nipah virus vaccine
Woking, UK, May 9th 2024: An international consortium of scientists and commercial partners is aiming to develop a vaccine and companion diagnostic test for Nipah virus (NiV).
The newly emerging zoonotic disease infects pigs and can spread to people. Carried by fruit bats, it can cause human encephalitis (brain swelling), leading to severe illness or even death.
A 1998 Malaysian outbreak, which killed more than 100 people, was controlled by culling almost half the nation’s pig population, devastating the farming industry.
Researchers at The Pirbright Institute are leading a two-year, £1.5m project with the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI) in Germany, and three leading UK companies – EnsiliTech, Global Access Diagnostics and BioVacc Consulting – to create the first-ever bivalent NiV vaccine that could be routinely used to protect pigs against NiV and reduce the risk of severe outbreaks.
This research is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as part of the UK Vaccine Network, a UK Aid programme to develop vaccines for diseases with epidemic potential in low- and middle-income countries.
The partnership builds on a previous study which developed a two-shot immunisation regime to provide a high level of protection against NiV.
Professor Simon Graham, who leads the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Group at Pirbright, said: “Despite the threat NiV poses, no vaccines are available. Commercial development has been limited as companies fear limited marketability due to the sporadic nature of outbreaks. To address this gap, the consortium aims to develop a vaccine for pigs which could be deployed in response to an outbreak situation, or routinely used to reduce the risk of NiV outbreaks occurring.”
Dr Walter Fuchs, from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, said: “The project builds on our expertise in genetic engineering of pseudorabies virus which should allow us to develop a vaccine that can provide immunity after a single immunisation or can be used as a bivalent vaccine.”
The consortium’s UK partners bring a range of commercial skills and expertise to vaccine development. EnsiliTech specialises in biologicals without refrigeration, allowing a silica-coated vaccine to be stored and transported in tropical regions without cold storage; Global Access Diagnostics develop innovative rapid lateral flow immunoassay tests – and will develop a companion diagnostic test that will discriminate infected from vaccinated pigs, and BioVacc Consulting provides expert insight into vaccine research and development.
Dr Asel Sartbaeva, CEO of EnsiliTech said: “The majority of today’s vaccines require constant refrigeration to ensure efficacy. If there is no fridge or electricity, some vaccines could spoil before they reach the animal. EnsiliTech’s novel technology, ensilication, could make vaccines thermally stable, thus removing the need for cold-chain altogether. Through this groundbreaking technique, we will empower veterinarians and farmers safeguarding animal health.”
Live attenuated pseudorabies virus (PrV) vaccines are highly effective and have been used for successful eradication of Aujeszky’s disease from domestic pigs in many countries. These vaccines can be engineered to express antigens from other pathogens. Pirbright and FLI scientists have shown that inclusion of NiV proteins in a PrV vaccine does not hinder PrV-specific immune responses.
The new project will improve the combined PrV-NiV vaccine to provide protection after a single shot by engineering NiV glycoproteins to be expressed on the surface of cells, enhancing antibody responses.
About the UK Vaccine Network:
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the UK Government department which is responsible for helping people to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. This investment is part of the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN). UKVN was established to provide funding to support the development of promising vaccines and vaccine technologies that will help combat infectious diseases that have epidemic potential in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). UKVN is a UK Aid investment, which means all projects funded must support research primarily and directly for the benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
About EnsiliTech:
EnsiliTech is a Bristol-based startup, looking to apply our patented platform technology to store and transport antibodies, vaccines, and other biological candidates without the need for refrigeration or freezing. EnsilITech spun out from the University of Bath in July 2022. In January 2023, EnsiliTech had finalised a first, oversubscribed, pre-seed investment round of £1.2M/$1.5M. This consisted of an Innovate UK grant and private investment from Science Angels Syndicate, Fink Family Office, QantX, and angels.
About The Pirbright Institute:
The Pirbright Institute is a world leading centre of excellence in research and surveillance of virus diseases of farm animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Based in the UK and receiving strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Institute works to enhance capability to contain, control and eliminate these economically and medically important diseases through highly innovative fundamental and applied bioscience.
