Lancet study flags early hope for Nipah vaccine; trial finds strong immune response | India News
NEW DELHI: A potential vaccine against the deadly Nipah virus has shown encouraging safety and immune responses in an early human trial, according to a study published in The Lancet, offering fresh hope against a disease that has repeatedly caused fatal outbreaks in India and neighbouring countries.The World Health Organization has listed Nipah virus among its priority pathogens for accelerated research, citing its epidemic potential, high fatality rates and the absence of any approved vaccine or specific treatment.The phase 1 trial evaluated a recombinant soluble glycoprotein G vaccine (HeV-sG-V), originally developed against the closely related Hendra virus. The study was conducted at a single centre in the United States and enrolled 192 healthy adults aged 18–49 years in a randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled design.Safety findings were reassuring. Mild to moderate injection-site pain was the most commonly reported side effect, and no serious adverse events, hospitalisations or deaths were recorded during the trial.Crucially, the study demonstrated a clear dose-dependent immune response. While a single dose failed to generate sufficient immunity, two doses produced strong neutralising antibodies against both major strains of the Nipah virus. The strongest responses were seen in participants who received two 100-microgram doses 28 days apart, with antibody levels rising sharply within a week of the second dose.Researchers noted that antibodies were induced within one month of vaccination and were more durable with a two-dose regimen—an important feature for both preventive use and rapid deployment during outbreaks.India has faced repeated Nipah outbreaks, beginning with West Bengal in 2001 and 2007, and more recently in Kerala. The first major outbreak in Kerela in 2018 proved especially lethal, with 17 deaths among 18 confirmed cases, and subsequent flare-ups have kept health authorities on constant alert. Two deathS occurred there in 2025 also. The study was funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations While larger trials will be needed to establish effectiveness, experts say the findings mark a significant step toward developing the world’s first effective vaccine against one of the most lethal emerging viral threats.
