A new vaccine offers hope against one of the world's deadliest viruses. In a landmark phase 1 clinical trial, researchers have shown that a candidate vaccine against the Nipah virus (NiV)—a pathogen with fatality rates as high as 75–80 percent—can be administered safely and trigger a promising immune response. The vaccine, named HeV sG V, was developed by scientists at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) in the U.S. and their results were published in The Lancet.
The Nipah virus is a highly lethal zoonotic disease first identified in 1999 in Malaysia and now causes annual outbreaks across South and Southeast Asia, including India. Transmitted from animals such as fruit bats to humans-and sometimes between people—it can cause severe respiratory distress and brain inflammation. The World Health Organization lists Nipah as a high priority pathogen needing urgent research because no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments currently exist.
To evaluate safety and immune performance, researchers conducted a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial involving 192 healthy adults aged 18 to 49 years. Participants were divided into groups receiving single or double doses of HeV sG V at varying strengths, or placebo, with doses spaced 28 days apart. Researchers measured neutralizing antibody titers—a key sign of protection—alongside adverse reactions in the weeks following vaccination.
The results were encouraging. All dose regimens were safe and well tolerated, with only mild to moderate injection site pain reported and no serious side effects or hospitalizations. More importantly, participants who received two doses of the 100 microgram formulation developed the strongest antibody response, showing a dramatic rise in neutralizing antibodies within one month, which persisted long after the second dose. A single shot, however, produced only limited immunity.
Experts from India’s ICMR–National Institute of Virology, writing in an accompanying commentary, called the study a “milestone” in Nipah vaccine development and urged larger phase 2 trials to confirm protection levels.
If subsequent trials prove successful, the HeV sG V candidate could become the first weapon against a virus that has repeatedly triggered deadly outbreaks across Asia—offering a real chance to prevent future health emergencies before they begin.
REFERENCE: Frenck, Robert W et al.; Safety and immunogenicity of a Nipah virus vaccine (HeV-sG-V) in adults: a single-centre, randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 study; The Lancet, Volume 406, Issue 10521, 2792 – 2803; doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01390-X
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