Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Dec 13: The University of Oxford has commenced the world’s first Phase II clinical trial of a Nipah virus vaccine candidate in Bangladesh, with the doses manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII). The vaccine, ChAdOx NipahB, aims to tackle a virus with a fatality rate of up to 75 per cent.

Developed using the same viral-vector platform as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the trial will enrol 306 healthy participants aged 18 to 55. It is being conducted in collaboration with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. “Starting a Phase II trial in a country affected by regular Nipah outbreaks is a critical step to ensure the vaccine is effective and relevant for those who need it most,” said Prof Brian Angus, chief investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group.

Nipah virus, carried by fruit bats, spreads through contaminated date palm sap, animals, or person-to-person contact and can lead to acute encephalitis, pneumonia, and severe respiratory problems. Since 1998, over 750 cases have been reported in Bangladesh and India, resulting in 415 deaths.

Dr Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director of SII, said the company plans to produce up to 100,000 doses for emergency use during future outbreaks. Viral vector vaccines like ChAdOx1 are heat-stable, scalable, and suitable for low-resource settings, making them a crucial tool in combating emerging infectious diseases.