New vaccines, new hope: First human trial for Ebola, Marburg and Lassa vaccines

A new research partnership will test cutting-edge vaccines designed to protect against some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases.

The collaboration between Imperial College London and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will deliver a first-in-human (FIH) clinical trial of three new vaccines targeting Ebola, Marburg and Lassa fever – viruses that can cause severe, often fatal illness and trigger devastating outbreaks.

The study, known as EML-Vac, is being led by Professor Robin Shattock, Chair in Mucosal Infection and Immunity in the Department of Infectious Disease, and Dr Marta Boffito, Consultant Physician and Clinical Director at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Why these viruses matter

Ebola, Marburg and Lassa viruses belong to a group called viral haemorrhagic fevers. They can damage blood vessels, cause internal and external bleeding, and in some outbreaks, are deadly for many of the people infected.

Outbreaks tend to strike suddenly, often in parts of the world with limited healthcare infrastructure, including parts of Central and East Africa, and West Africa, making fast and effective vaccine development a global priority.

A new kind of vaccine

The vaccines being tested in EML-Vac use a new technology called self-amplifying RNA (saRNA). Unlike traditional vaccines, which can take years to develop and manufacture, saRNA vaccines can be designed and produced much more quickly – a crucial advantage when new outbreaks emerge.

These vaccines work by giving the body instructions to make harmless pieces of the virus, allowing the immune system to learn to recognise and fight the real infection if it is encountered in the future.

"Developing vaccines that are safe, protective and affordable has the potential to be truly transformative for communities affected by these dangerous viruses." Professor Robin Shattock

The three vaccines have been designed to target the glycoproteins of the Ebola, Marburg and Lassa viruses and are delivered inside tiny fat-based particles, known as lipid nanoparticles, which help the vaccines enter cells more efficiently.

What the trial will test

This is the first time these vaccines will be tested in people. The EML-Vac study will focus on two main areas:

• Whether the vaccines are well tolerated by participants (safety)
• Whether the vaccines trigger the types of immune reactions researchers expect (immune response)

The vaccines will be tested both individually and in combination.

The team is now recruiting healthy volunteers aged 18 to 50 to take part in the study, which will be carried out at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and sponsored by Imperial.

By taking part, volunteers will be helping researchers gather the crucial early data needed to move these vaccines towards wider testing and, eventually, real-world use.

A step towards faster outbreak response

Developing vaccines for emerging diseases is usually expensive and slow – often too slow to stop an outbreak once it has begun. The saRNA approach could change that, allowing scientists to respond far more rapidly to new threats.

"We are grateful to the volunteers whose participation makes this progress possible – their contribution brings us closer to vaccines that could save lives in future outbreaks.” Dr Marta Boffito

Together, Imperial and Chelsea and Westminster hope this partnership will help manufacture and test a new generation of vaccines ready to protect people when they are needed most.

Professor Robin Shattock said: “This trial represents the culmination of many years of research. Developing vaccines that are safe, protective and affordable has the potential to be truly transformative for communities affected by these dangerous viruses, as well as for the health workers responding on the frontline during outbreaks.”

Dr Marta Boffito added: “The Clinical Research Facility staff and I are very excited to conduct this Phase I study, a critical first step in evaluating the safety and immune response of these important vaccines. We are grateful to the volunteers whose participation makes this progress possible – their contribution brings us closer to vaccines that could save lives in future outbreaks.”