The Race For Ebola Vaccine Continues

The first cases of genus Ebolavirus outbreak dates back to 1976, and since then the World Health Organization has registered a total of 24 outbreaks till date. Ebola Virus Disease is acquired by a human host from the animals through consumption of bush meat. It is then spread through human contact. There is not much that can be done presently, apart from controlling its symptoms to get better outcome and reduce fatality rate. Intravenous fluids are provided to restore body salts is one measure; sustaining normal oxygen levels and blood flow is another. Drug developers feel the urgency to invent a cure for genus Ebolavirus—an epidemic that has claimed lives of more than 11,000 people. 

Present-day Market Prospects
Researchers may not have been able to identify an effective treatment for Ebola; yet new developments are being recorded worldwide. Conventionally, extensive clinical trials take more than a couple of years, and a lot of patience, to bring a drug or vaccine to the consumer platforms. The latest outbreak of EVD between 2013 and 2016 has placed the drug and vaccine approvals on fast-track. Currently, no vaccine or drug is available on consumer platforms, which has been approved by U.S. Food and Drug Association as a cure for EVD. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the world potential analysis of Ebola drug and vaccines market is going to reach $56 million by 2020. The industry will witness an astounding CAGR of 95.2% during 2015-2020. The LAMEA region is expected to generate more than 50% of the total revenue, followed by U.S. and Europe. 
Contemporary breakthroughs that emerged in the potential analysis of Ebola drug and vaccines market have been tried and tested on animals so far under the Animal Efficacy Rule. Fruit bats gain center amidst the preliminary research for drug and vaccines development as they act as the reservoir of the virus without getting affected by it. In due course of the assays, multiple drug and vaccines surfaced with safe profiles to treat as well as prevent the effects of genus Ebolavirus in humans. 

Potential analysis for vaccine candidates 

At present, three vaccine candidates have successfully completed Phase II trials and proceed toward a larger scale of clinical trials on humans themselves rather than the nonhuman primate (NHP) testing. First in line, is the recombinant viral vector type vaccine being developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) along with National Institutes of Health (NIH). Phase two trials started in January 2015, and has been generating positive results since then. Funding were raised by a global consortium with the UK government, Medical Research Council, and Wellcome Trust playing the lead roles. 

The second candidate, rVSV-ZEBOV-GP (V920), was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, in association with Merck & Co. In April 2015, NewLink Genetics and Merck initiated the Phase III trials for the vaccine in Sierra Leone. There are similar large-scale late-stage trials ongoing in other parts of Liberia and Guinea for the same.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, in collaboration with Bavarian Nordic, published the success of phase I trials for its prime-boost Ebola vaccine regimen in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. The presented study cited data that was sourced from 10 clinical trials carried out simultaneously across parts of U.S, Europe, and Africa. Initial research programs were funded by grants from the Innovative Medicines Initiative, Europe. 

Potential analysis for drug candidates

AVI-7537 is a leading candidate in the potential analysis of Ebola drug and vaccines market for treating the case. Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., reports the drug to be in Phase I testing under fast-track designation from the FDA. The drug targets VP24 transcript of genus Ebolavirus and binds with it. Restraining this RNA protein helps generate enhanced response to infection from the host. 

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, under a contract with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), develops and manufactures a potential anti-Ebola therapy, TKM-Ebola-Guinea. It is a synthetic small interfering RNA (siRNA), which blocks specific genes in the virus and inhibits its duplication. Clinical trials for this drug are in process, and researchers continue to look for fresh approaches to prove its efficacy in infected patients.

Other approaches in potential analysis
Countries in regions like Asia-Pacific, LAMEA, North America, and Europe participate enthusiastically to develop Ebola drug and vaccine to put the plight of many to rest. Based on the strain of Ebolavirus sampled from Guinea in 2014, a biotech organization named Novawax has produced recombinant protein vaccine for Ebola. This vaccine has already completed its Phase l trial on human beings in Australia. 

Few other vaccine candidates have also completed their early phase human testing on humans in China. In addition, the Russian Federal Ministry of Health is also busy developing influenza candidate vaccine and considering other approaches as well. A road map was also drafted to support the development, clinical trials, production, delivery and funding of vaccines for Ebola. This road map comprises a collective effort of about 26 highly acclaimed industry experts and is backed by the Wellcome Trust.

Major pharmaceutical companies realize that the Ebola epidemic will strike again in future. In today’s modern world, where regional populations interact regularly on global platforms, the scale of epidemic will only increase. The need to venture in potential analysis of Ebola drug and vaccines market is driven by humanitarian concerns, national security issues, and of course the lucrative profit opportunities that prevails. Manufacturers have to channelize their efforts on promising Ebola drug and vaccine candidates, and correspondingly find fresh research and development approaches. This will gain quick organizational approvals and eventually help save millions of lives.

 

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