WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The first experimental Ebola vaccine showed promise in an early clinical study, the National Institutes of Health said. Scientists plan to now take the vaccine to a larger study in West Africa in the coming months.
Researchers found the vaccine produced an immune response in all 20 of the adults who participated in the human trial, a good sign that the drug could guard against the virus. The drug, co-created by the National Institute of Health and GlaxoSmithKline, said no one involved developed dangerous side effects. The only side effect was a day-long fever in some volunteers who received larger doses.
"Based on these positive results from the first human trial of this candidate vaccine, we are continuing our accelerated plan for larger trials to determine if the vaccine is efficacious in preventing Ebola infection," Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.
The vaccine was created from segments of Ebola virus genetic materials from two specimens. The vaccine can not cause Ebola. The trial used 20 volunteers between the ages 18 and 50. Of those, 10 received vaccine injections at a lower dose and 10 at a higher dose. After testing, researchers found all of the volunteers developed anti-Ebola antibodies. The larger-scale trials in West Africa are expected to begin later this year or early 2015.
