Moderna begins dosing of Nipah virus vaccine mRNA-1215 in early-stage study
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Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) said the first person was dosed in a phase 1 trial of its Nipah virus (NiV) vaccine candidate mRNA-1215.
The vaccine has been developed in collaboration with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC), a division of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The COVID-19 vaccine maker said the phase 1 dose-escalation trial is the first study of mRNA-1215 in healthy adults to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a NiV mRNA vaccine.
NiV is a zoonotic virus that can be transmitted to humans from infected animals, via consumption of contaminated food or directly from other infected people. An estimated 40% to 75% of people infected with NiV die due to the infection, the company noted in a July 12 press release.
"Our partnership with NIAID to advance mRNA-1215 for Nipah virus reflects our commitment to advance a portfolio of 15 vaccine programs by 2025, targeting emerging or neglected infectious diseases that threaten global health," said Moderna CEO StÃ©phane Bancel.
Moderna (MRNA) added that it has advanced its Zika vaccine candidate mRNA-1893 to phase 2 trials.