Ghana Develops Lassa Fever Vaccine; First Human Trial Conducted – Confirmed Information Available Here

Ghana develops Lassa Fever Vaccine and has conducted its first Human Trial, according to confirmed details available to HERBAFAMA.

In more details, Ghana develops Lassa Fever Vaccine in a wake of the virus outbreak and this is developed at Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC).

Since its inception in 1994, the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) has been doing active clinical research and has been essential in conducting key trials that have resulted in policy changes both locally and internationally.

The center is most recognized for successfully completing the key phase 3 trial of the first malaria vaccine (RTS, S), which is currently being piloted and administered in several Ghanaian districts. The center has undertaken various trials in several therapeutic areas, including meningitis and sickle cell disease, among others.

In September 2022, the Kintampo Health Research Centre started accepting participants for a phase 1 Lassa fever experiment, marking a first of its type. After an investigational product has successfully completed the preclinical phase, which consists of multiple tests carried out in the laboratory using animal models, a phase 1 study is the first human trial that is done to determine primarily the product’s safety.

A phase 1 Lassa fever vaccination trial in healthy individuals is now being conducted by KHRC with funding from Emergent Product Development Gaithersburg, Inc. in the Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District.

A severe viral hemorrhagic disease, lassa fever. Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Nigeria are among the West African nations where the illness is endemic. For Lassa fever, there is currently no approved medication or vaccine.

Prior to the start of the study, study staff underwent emergency medicine training in basic and advanced cardiac life support to increase their ability in the handling of medical emergencies as part of a step to ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants.

The facility features a pharmacy unit, a 12-bed clinical trial unit with consulting/examination rooms, and other facilities.

An electric suction machine, ECG machine, defibrillator, Ambu bag and masks, Guedel and laryngeal mask airways, and endotracheal tubes are among the emergency equipment in this set-up, along with a crash cart filled with emergency medications, oxygen cylinders, and logistics to give participants intranasal oxygen.

A small corridor connects the facility to the emergency room of the Kintampo Municipal Hospital. When necessary, the center carefully coordinates referrals of participants for emergency care with the hospital.

Prior to implementation, the trial documents are examined and approved by the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the institutional ethical committee, and the central ethics committee. Representatives of the sponsor, the ethics committees, and the Ghana Medical Research Council constantly monitor and closely examine the trial.

The current Lassa fever outbreak in Ghana should serve as a wake-up call to all stakeholders to hasten the creation of vaccines and medications to combat this illness. The creation of Emergent’s candidate vaccine is hoped to result in the first licensed vaccine for Lassa fever prevention.