Vaccine fast-tracked for virus that kills up to 85% of people it infects

The Nipah virus is seen by the World Health Organisation as a research priority because of its pandemic potential

The University of Oxford's jab for Nipah virus has been granted support from the European Medicines Agency's Prime scheme, (Getty Images)

A vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford for the deadly Nipah virus may soon be available to patients.

The University of Oxford's vaccine has been granted support from the European Medicines Agency's Prime scheme, which aims to fast track the delivery of treatments to people through closer collaboration with regulators.

The World Health Organisation considers Nipah a research priority due to its pandemic potential. The virus is fatal in up to 85% of cases, initially causing symptoms such as fever, headaches, pain, vomiting, and sore throat, but can later lead to fatal brain swelling.

Nipah can be transmitted to humans from animals (such as bats or pigs), or contaminated foods and can also be transmitted directly from human to human.

The University of Oxford is currently putting its jab for Nipah through phase 1 testing after promising earlier results.

It is the first UK academic institution to get access to the Prime scheme from the EMA.

Oxford said the additional support offered by Prime "has been granted on the basis of compelling preclinical data and preliminary clinical evidence, and will help to accelerate the development and regulatory approval" of the vaccine.

In its letter of confirmation to Oxford investigators, the EMA said: "Nipah virus disease in humans is associated with significant morbidity and a high mortality rate and consequent public health impact.

"The increasing frequency of human encounters with fruit bats and spillover into densely populated areas is expanding opportunities for Nipah virus transmission, heightening its outbreak potential."

Professor Brian Angus, chief investigator of the Oxford Nipah Vaccine Programme at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: "This targeted regulatory support for our vaccine programme is a huge boost to the search for a solution to Nipah virus outbreaks.

"We are hopeful that the results of these trials will pave the way for us to be able to protect some of the populations most at risk, while also helping the world avoid a future global pandemic."

Nipah was first recognised in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia.

It was also found in Bangladesh in 2001, and nearly annual outbreaks have occurred in that country since. The disease has also occured in eastern India.

Evidence of the virus has been found in bat species in a number of countries, including Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, the Philippines and Thailand.