Phase I trial begins of new vaccine against the Plague
26 July 2021
Researchers at the University of Oxford today launched a Phase 1 trial to test a new vaccine against plague.
Based on the ChAdOx1 adenovirus viral vector platform also used in the successful Oxford coronavirus vaccine, forty healthy adults aged 18 to 55 will receive this new vaccine in order to assess side effects and determine how well it induces protective antibody and T cell responses.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said:
‘The coronavirus pandemic has shown the importance of vaccines to defend populations from the threat caused by bacteria and viruses. Plague threatened the world in several horrific waves over past millennia, and, even today, outbreaks continue to disrupt communities. A new vaccine to prevent plague is important for them and for our health security.’
Probably the most well-known example of plague is the Black Death of the 1300s; this form of the bubonic plague was the biggest global pandemic in history and killed hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Although for much of the world plague has been eliminated, cases do continue to occur annually in rural areas of Africa, Asia and even America.
There are three different types of plague: bubonic, pneumonic and septicaemic. If left untreated, the bubonic form has a 30 percent to 60 percent fatality rate and the pneumonic form is almost always fatal. Both bubonic and pneumonic plague can develop into a life-threatening infection of the blood called septicaemia.
From 2010 to 2015, there were 3,248 cases reported globally, including 584 deaths. A relatively recent epidemic in Madagascar saw 2,119 suspected cases and 171 deaths from August 2017 to November 2017.
Christine Rollier, Associate Professor of Vaccinology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said:
‘Although antibiotics can be used to treat plague, many areas experiencing outbreaks are very remote locations. In such areas, an effective vaccine could offer a successful prevention strategy to combat the disease.’
Volunteers for the trial will receive expert follow up for 12 months, before the researchers begin evaluating the data in order to report their findings.
To find out more about the study, or to sign up, please visit: https://trials.ovg.ox.ac.uk/trials/plague
Notes to editors:
For enquiries or interview requests, please contact: [email protected]
All statistics (unless indicated otherwise) from the World Health Organisation.
How the study will work
The study will recruit up to 40 healthy adults aged 18-55. Volunteers will be randomly allocated to the following groups:
- Group 1: One dose
- Group 2: Two doses
- Group 3: Two doses, with one increased dose
Volunteers will record any symptoms following vaccination for 28 days after each dose. Volunteers will also have samples taken to test the immune response following vaccination.
The Oxford Vaccine Group
About the Oxford Vaccine Group
The Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) conducts studies of new and improved vaccines for children and adults and is based in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford. The multidisciplinary group includes consultants in vaccinology, a Director of Clinical Trials, a Senior Clinical Trials Manager, adult and paediatric clinical research fellows, adult and paediatric research nurses, project managers, statisticians, QA manager, Clinical Trials IT and Development Lead, and an administration team. The team also includes post-doctoral scientists, research assistants and DPhil students and we work together with professionals from a range of specialities such as immunologists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, health communicators, and a sociologist, a community paediatrician, the local Health Protection team and a bioethicist.
OVG is a UKCRC registered clinical trials unit working in collaboration with the Primary Care Trials Unit at the University (registration number: 52).
The University of Oxford
Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the fifth year running, and at the heart of this success is our ground-breaking research and innovation. Oxford is world-famous for research excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.
Ground-breaking study reveals how COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe disease
Novel triple drug combination effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Researchers discover how immune cells hunt down cancer around the body
New algorithm supercharges climate models and could lead to better predictions of future climate change
New study to improve vaccines and therapeutics development