Like the feared cases norovirus In Canada and the United States, a glimmer of hope is on the horizon: researchers are making progress toward developing a vaccine against the stomach virus.
American pharmaceutical company Moderna is developing an mRNA-based vaccine candidate against norovirus, designated mRNA-1403. This vaccine is designed to protect against multiple genotypes of norovirus by directing cells to produce virus-like particles that stimulate an immune response without causing infection, the company said in a statement. September 2024 press release.
“Norovirus is a significant public health issue that affects millions of people around the world each year, leading to severe symptoms and, in some cases, hospitalization,” Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said in the release.
“By advancing our investigational norovirus vaccine into a pivotal Phase 3 trial, we are poised to potentially provide a new tool to prevent infection with this highly contagious virus, which places a significant burden on health systems. health on a global scale.
Norovirus, commonly known as the stomach virus, also appears to be hitting Canadians harder this year, with cases surpassing previous averages.
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Last month, preliminary data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) showed that norovirus infections are being reported nationally at rates above the five-year average from 2019 to 2023.
And an Ontario public health official recently confirmed This norovirus was detected in a group of 190 people at the University of Guelph who reported symptoms of gastroenteritis over the past week.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Outbreaks occur more frequently during the fall and winter months and typically cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, body aches, headaches and fever. Symptoms can lead to dehydration, sometimes requiring hospitalization, especially in people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and children.
Currently, there are no vaccines or antivirals approved to combat norovirus.
But Moderna hopes to change that with its vaccine.
The company’s vaccine is currently currently in phase 3 clinical trial, known as the Nova 301 trial, which aims to evaluate its safety, effectiveness and immune response in adults.
This trial plans to recruit approximately 25,000 participants worldwide, including individuals from the United States, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom.
If the trial demonstrates the vaccine is safe and effective, Moderna said it plans to submit a marketing application to U.S. health regulators in 2026, which could lead to the first approved norovirus vaccine.
Moderna isn’t the only pharmaceutical company trying to combat stomach disease.
Vaxtart, a biotechnology company specializing in the development of oral vaccines, also developing a vaccine against norovirustheir candidate is currently in early-stage clinical trials.