The virus that causes rabies is spreadable and dangerous to human life. Although there are rabies instances all around the world, they are most common in portions of Africa, India, and China. The young are especially at risk; over 40% of cases involve children under 15.
The importance of a novel, single-dose vaccine stems from this. The Phase 1 clinical study of the University of Oxford’s novel rabies vaccine, ChAdOx2 RabG, had encouraging findings. The novel rabies vaccination had never before been tested on humans.
Researchers used the RAB001 trial to examine the safety and immunological responses to the vaccination by measuring levels of rabies neutralizing antibodies, key evidence of rabies vaccine efficacy. Twelve volunteers all participated in the study. Three subjects received a medium dose, three others a low dose and six subjects each received a high dose of ChAdOx2 Rab.
powerful defenses against rabies
The World Health Organization’s protective threshold of 0.5 International Units/ml was reached by all of the volunteers who received a medium or high dose of the drug. That suggests that within two months of receiving the vaccine, a robust immune response against rabies developed.
The long-term immune responses showed that the vaccine’s impact lasts for a very long time. Seven of the patients who had middle- or high doses of the vaccine went back to the lab for an additional follow-up test a year after receiving it. Neutralizing antibody levels were over the protective threshold in six of them. This demonstrates that the vaccine’s immunological response is long-lasting.
“These first results are simply fantastic; the vaccination has worked even better than we had anticipated. The present rabies vaccinations have drawbacks in that they are pricey and require many doses. We have high hopes that further testing in rabies-affected nations will demonstrate that the new vaccine may allow for affordable, routine single-dose vaccination against this deadly illness for those residing there “In a press release issued by the organization, Associate Professor Sandy Douglas, the trial’s chief investigator at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, was quoted.
“Based on contemporary vaccination technologies, new rabies vaccines may play a significant role in reducing the tens of thousands of rabies-related fatalities that occur each year. Our encouraging preliminary outcomes from clinical trials using ChAdOx2 RabG support the continued development of this strategy “said Dr. Daniel Jenkin, the trial’s lead clinical research fellow at the same organization.
based on an altered genetic form of the virus that causes the common cold
The ChAdOx2 vector, a genetically modified, less potent form of the common cold virus, serves as the basis for the ChAdOx2 RabG vaccination (adenovirus). It also uses technology that was successfully included in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
In light of the encouraging outcomes from the RAB001 trial, the researchers’ next strategy is to further enhance the vaccine and pave the path for more extensive clinical studies.
To assess safety and immunogenicity, the team is currently undertaking a Phase Ib/II clinical trial in Tanzania; results from that trial are expected later this year, with final results needed by the end of 2023.