An researcher works in the Laboratory of the Headquarters of Modern Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
Adam Glanzman | Bloomberg | False images
Norovirus is sweeping the United States this winter. Modern We may soon have a vaccine.
A large phase three of the vaccine is being carried out, whose results are expected by the end of this year or 2026. Modern needs to see a certain number of cases before analyzing the data and determining how well your vaccine works, What puts the flow schedule. The study with 25,000 people is registering earlier than expected, said Doran Fink, head of the clinical therapeutic area of modern gastrointestinal pathogens and bacterial.
“I don't know if it is directly attributable to the highest incidence of Norovirus this season, but we clearly have a lot of interest in participating in this essay,” Fink said.
Norovirus is an unpleasant stomach virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is highly contagious and can easily spread in elderly and nurseries and in cruises. It is generally a seasonal disease that is more common in the winter months.
This winter has been especially brutal. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in January they have positively given the double of Norovirus tests that at the same time last year. Norovirus sprouts increased 36% so far this season until December 11, according to CDC.
There is currently no vaccine against Norovirus. Like the flu, there are many types of Norovirus, which causes him to vaccinate against him is a challenge.
The modern candidate vaccine is aimed at the three genotypes that, according to the company, usually cause most infections. It works by showing the immune system something that seems norovirus but that is not infectious, so that the body can learn to defend itself if the real virus attacks.
The company's candidate vaccine does not include the genotype that is causing most of this year's infections. One of the objectives of the study is to see if the vaccine protects against more types of Norovirus than the injection points specifically, Fink said. He said that RNM vaccines offer an advantage because they can be easily modified, if necessary.
Modern's objective is not to completely avoid people to contract Norovirus. It is a high bar for any vaccine, and especially difficult to reach with the Norovirus because the symptoms begin between 12 and 24 hours after the exhibition, Fink said. Instead, the goal is to make people feel a little less bad and prevent them from seeing a doctor or going to the hospital if they contract it.
The company sees the main opportunity in vaccinating older people who are particularly vulnerable to Norovirus complications such as dehydration. According to CDCs, people 65 years old or more constitute most of the approximately 900 Americans who die from complications of Norovirus in the US.
Modern also sees health workers, nurser shops and other teachers who are exposed to young children as possible target populations, the executive director of Modern, Stéphane Banll, said in the JP Morgan's medical care conference . Another possibility is that people travel in cruises, he said, since the virus can easily spread in ships where people live in small spaces.
Investors wonder if modern can make injection a viable commercial opportunity, if, of course, the vaccine works, said RBC analyst Luca Issi. Consider that the vaccine is mainly used to protect people who live in nursing homes or travel on cruises.
At this time, Modern is not testing the vaccine in children, which are also vulnerable to Norovirus. But if the vaccine works in adults, modern would be forced to study it in children, Doran said.
