A made-in-Canada Ebola vaccine will be tested on 40 healthy American volunteers in Maryland to determine its safety, Health Minister Rona Ambrose announced Monday.
“This is promising and hopeful news,” Ms. Ambrose said at a press conference in Toronto, Sun News Network reported. “It provides hope because if it’s shown to be safe and effective, it will stop this devastating outbreak.”
Canada has licensed the rights to the VSV-EBOV vaccine to NewLink Genetics in the United States. Twenty vials of the experimental vaccine have been sent to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland. Results of the trial are expected this December, Sun News Network reported.
Dr. Greg Taylor, Canada’s chief public health officer, said the Canadian government has been working on the vaccine for a number of years in Winnipeg. He said there is no live virus in the vaccine, so volunteers run no risk of contracting Ebola.
Phase 1 of the trial will determine if the vaccine is safe for human use, proper dosage levels and possible side effects, Ms. Ambrose said. If successful, the next stage would be to test it in a larger human sample, including those directly handling Ebola cases in West Africa, the Associated Press reported.
Studies have shown the vaccine works in primates both to prevent infection and to increase survival chances when administered quickly after exposure, AP reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.