WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Emergent BioSolutions said this week it had started a phase 2 trial in Vietnam of its single-dose oral typhoid vaccine.
The trial involves adults in Ho Chi Minh City and is intended to be the first of a series of age-descending trials prior to launching a phase 3 study in children, the Gaithersburg, Md.-based company said.
"This product program has the potential to lead to a single oral dose vaccine that is simple to administer, facilitating vaccination in all populations, including residents of areas where typhoid fever is endemic or epidemic, and tourists and business travelers as well," said Steven Chatfield, Emergent's chief scientific officer.
Currently available typhoid vaccines are either given by injection or require a 3-4 oral dose regimen.
Approximately 30 million cases of typhoid, including 600,000 deaths, are reported worldwide each year. Most of the cases of the disease detected in Europe and the United States are acquired while traveling abroad.
