Abstract
During the 2013–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa an expert panel was established on the instructions of the UK Prime Minister to identify priority pathogens for outbreak diseases that had the potential to cause future epidemics. A total of 13 priority pathogens were identified, which led to the prioritisation of spending in emerging diseases vaccine research and development from the UK. This meeting report summarises the process used to develop the UK pathogen priority list, compares it to lists generated by other organisations (World Health Organisation, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) and summarises clinical progress towards the development of vaccines against priority diseases. There is clear technical progress towards the development of vaccines. However, the availability of these vaccines will be dependent on sustained funding for clinical trials and the preparation of clinically acceptable manufactured material during inter-epidemic periods.
Highlights
The re-emergence of Zika virus since 2007 and the 2013–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa highlighted the risks that epidemic infectious diseases still pose
Due to concerns over antibody dependent enhancement of disease, this vaccine is only recommended for particular age groups in endemic areas who have been pre-screened for antibody responses indicating prior Dengue exposure [22]
The development of therapeutic antibodies that can be used post exposure during an outbreak, such as those developed against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, may be useful for outbreak type diseases provided that they are effective in the field [41]
Summary
The re-emergence of Zika virus since 2007 and the 2013–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa highlighted the risks that epidemic infectious diseases still pose. The possibility of conducting phase II/III clinical trials during an outbreak, at least as part of a ring vaccination strategy, has been demonstrated [4,5,6,7] This has highlighted that prototype vaccine trials need to be better integrated into emergency response protocols during an outbreak [8,9]. Emerging and outbreak diseases are sporadic by definition and outbreaks can be large there can be long periods between outbreaks and there is no guaranteed market for the vaccine product In this context, the willingness of governments and inter-governmental organisations such as WHO to support commercial scale vaccine development and to invest in establishing a bank of experimental vaccines is key to preparedness for future outbreaks. WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) are in a good position to promote a cooperative approach to emerging disease vaccine development
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
