Scientists developed a potential Zika virus vaccine that may offer safe and effective protection against the infection and its serious effects such as microcephaly.
Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to their peers.
Preclinical results by scientists at City College of New York (CCNY) and biotechnology developer TechnoVax in animal models demonstrate favourable outcomes.
The virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine tested in animals were highly effective in eliciting protective antibodies with neutralising activity equivalent to or higher than the activity present in the serum of a patient who recovered from Zika infection.
The vaccine formulations also were well tolerated and safe, said researchers Paul Gottlieb and Linda Spatz.
“The ZIKA VLP vaccine offers an effective and safe strategy to create a prophylactic vaccine that protects against Zika infection as well as its serious effects such as microcephaly,” said Jose M. Galarza, TechnoVax CEO.
