Vaccine for Lyme disease shows ‘positive initial results’ after clinical trials
A vaccine against Lyme disease showed “positive initial results” after the first of two Phase 2 studies, according to its makers.
Valneva, a biotech company based in France, said the vaccine produces an immune response across all age groups, but a “particularly encouraging” one in older adults who are most affected by the disease, according to a news release.
More specific data will be released in the coming months, but preliminary results show the vaccine helps the body produce antibodies against the bacteria that infected ticks transmit to people after feasting on their blood.
“We are pleased to report a successful first Phase 2 trial of our vaccine candidate against Lyme disease, a severe infection which affects an increasing number of people each year,” Dr. Wolfgang Bender, chief medical officer of Valneva, said in the release. “Further data from the ongoing Phase 2 trials in the coming months will support further dose and schedule decisions.”
The study included 572 healthy adults between 18 and 65 years old from Europe and the U.S. who received three injections. Each participant received one of two doses or a placebo on days 1, 29 and 57 of the clinical trial, the company said.
People who have been bitten by an infected tick in the past but have recovered were also included in the study.
Compared to doses used in the Phase 1 clinical trial, the higher doses administered in Phase 2 produced “higher antibody responses” against all six of the most prevalent serotypes — variations of the bacteria known to cause an infection in humans — found in the U.S. and Europe.
The vaccine, coined VLA15, also proved safe across all doses and age groups tested, with no serious side effects reported, according to the company. Past infection of Lyme disease did not affect the body’s ability to produce antibodies against the bacteria.
VLA15 is the only active vaccine candidate against Lyme disease undergoing clinical trials to date, the company said. It works by targeting the protein found on the surface of the bacteria that is responsible for causing the disease.
The vaccine could be available by 2025, the New Scientist reported.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is the most common disease caused by a parasite, bacteria or virus in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After getting bit by an infected tick, symptoms such as fever, headache, skin rashes and fatigue can take over.
If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and nervous system, the agency said. Otherwise, it can be treated successfully with antibiotics if caught early.
The CDC estimates that about 300,000 people contract Lyme disease in the U.S. each year; most cases come out of the Northeast where rising temperatures, rising sea levels and changes in rain patterns are lengthening the season for tick activity.
Despite the large numbers of people affected by the disease each year, a vaccine was discontinued in 2002 due to “insufficient consumer demand,” according to the CDC.
The vaccine called LYMErix was able to prevent people from contracting the disease but after some patients reported that they developed arthritis upon receiving it, a wave of fear and lawsuits followed, Healthline reported.
Meanwhile, a study — since proven false and removed — was published that said another type of vaccine was linked to autism, adding more uncertainty and hesitation regarding vaccines.
“Unfortunately, the vaccine received a great deal of negative public and media attention,” Dr. Alexea Gaffney-Adams, a physician who is board certified in infectious disease, internal medicine and pediatrics at Stony Brook Medicine, told the outlet.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Vaccine for Lyme disease shows ‘positive initial results’ after clinical trials."
