Human safety trials begin on second experimental Ebola vaccine

The National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday that human testing has begun on a second experimental Ebola vaccine, VSV-ZEBOV.

The vaccine, which was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, uses a genetically altered version of vesicular stomatitis virus, which usually affects livestock and causes mild illness in humans.

In tests with monkeys, the vaccine was shown to produce Ebola virus antibodies. Researchers say this was accomplished by altering VSV so that it contained the same protein that Ebola uses to invade cells.

The vaccine is being tested at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, according to the NIH. One set of tests will involve a two-shot “prime-boost” strategy, while the other will test a single shot technique.

The vaccine has been licensed to Newlink Genetics Corporation of Ames, Iowa.

In September, phase one safety trials began on another vaccine candidate developed by the NIAID and the pharmaceutical company Glaxosmithkline.

The NIH said that initial safety and immune response results for the NIAID-GSK vaccine are expected by the end of this year.

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