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Under the terms of the agreement, SII has been granted a non-exclusive, worldwide licence in the field of Nipah virus vaccines, enabling the company to support the development, manufacture and potential future supply of the vaccine candidate developed at the University of Oxford.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic pathogen associated with severe disease and high mortality, with outbreaks reported primarily in South and Southeast Asia since it was first identified in Malaysia in 1999. Despite the significant threat it poses to public health, there are currently no approved vaccines available to prevent Nipah virus infection.
The development of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine candidate is being funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and is based on the ChAdOx1 viral vector platform developed at the University of Oxford. Preclinical studies have demonstrated promising results, including strong immune responses in animal models and protection against infection in two in-vivo models.
Clinical-grade vaccine has been produced and a Phase 2a clinical trial has been initiated to evaluate the candidate’s safety and immunogenicity in humans. Subject to the results of these early studies, the programme is expected to progress to further clinical evaluation, including Phase 2b trials in regions where Nipah virus outbreaks occur.