A world first against the vomiting virus norovirus is being trialled in Britain in the hope it could ease the “burden on the NHS”, the Health Secretary has said.
Wes Streeting said the virus puts “enormous pressure” on the health service every winter and costs taxpayers around £100 million a year.
Moderna’s new mRNA vaccine will enter the final phase of testing within the next two weeks, and results so far show it creates a “strong immune response.”
Experts believe the vaccine could stop people from developing the vomiting and diarrheal disease, which is linked to around 12,000 hospital admissions in Britain every year.
The jab uses mRNA technology – as used in the Moderna Covid vaccine – to tell the immune system to recognize a ‘foreign’ protein on viruses and launch an attack, in this case targeting three major strains of norovirus .
Wes Streeting said the virus puts ‘enormous pressure’ on the health service every winter and costs taxpayers around £100m a year
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) chiefs received 1,237 laboratory-confirmed reports of vomiting disease in England in April. It means cases for this time of year are 75 per cent above pre-Covid levels
The jab uses mRNA technology – as used in the Moderna Covid vaccine – to tell the immune system to recognize a ‘foreign’ protein on viruses and launch an attack, in this case targeting three major strains of norovirus .
Dr. Patrick Moore, lead researcher on the study and director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in the South West, said there are currently ‘no approved vaccines for norovirus anywhere in the world’ and the only treatment available is people with serious illness. illness in the hospital is intravenous fluids.
He added: ‘Norovirus is what we know as winter vomiting disease, and it is highly transmissible.
“It causes vomiting and diarrhea, usually for two to three days.” It can affect people of all ages, and in the UK it usually peaks in the winter months… but we see norovirus all year round.
‘About one in five cases of gastroenteritis is caused by norovirus – that’s around 4 million cases a year in Britain and around 685 million worldwide.’
Around 27 NHS hospitals and centers in England, Scotland and Wales are taking part in the trial, some of which are running mobile clinics that can visit care homes or other community locations.
In total, it is hoped that 2,500 people in Britain will sign up for the trial before the end of December. Half receive the vaccine, the other half a fake medicine.
Everyone in the trial will be followed for around 25 months, and experts hope the results will show an efficacy of the jab of 65 per cent or more.
The disease can resemble the symptoms of Covid, with both viruses causing chills, fever and headache
Moderna will also analyze whether the vaccine should be used as a seasonal shot, like the flu vaccine, or whether it can provide lifelong immunity (file photo)
Moderna will also analyze whether the vaccine should be used as a seasonal shot, like the flu vaccine, or whether it can provide lifelong immunity.
The company hopes to submit marketing applications in 2026 to get the vaccine approved by health regulators.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Norovirus is highly contagious and puts great strain on the NHS every winter, costing the taxpayer around £100 million a year.
‘The UK is leading the way in developing a world-first vaccine against this emetic disease, starting with this innovative vaccine trial being delivered through the government-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research.
‘Not only is this a huge vote of confidence in the UK life sciences sector, but a successful vaccine will help shift our healthcare system from disease to prevention – reducing pressure on the NHS and keeping people healthy during the colder months.’
Researchers leading the trial said it would involve adults of all ages, although people aged 60 and over are encouraged to take part as they could be badly affected by norovirus.
If the vaccine works in adults, the trial will likely be expanded to children. The US, Canada and Japan are also participating in the study, with a possible extension to Australia.
In total, approximately 25,000 people are expected to be recruited worldwide.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Norovirus is highly contagious and puts great strain on the NHS every winter, costing the taxpayer around £100 million a year’
Dr. Melanie Ivarsson, Chief Development Officer at Moderna, said: ‘We are excited to bring this trial to Britain – by advancing our investigational mRNA norovirus vaccine into a pivotal Phase 3 trial, we are one step closer to enabling of a new tool to prevent the spread of this highly contagious virus that is placing significant strain on healthcare systems worldwide.”
Dr. Moore said older adults and immunocompromised patients tend to be at higher risk of serious complications and death from norovirus, with around 80 deaths a year in Britain and around 200,000 deaths worldwide, of which 50,000 are children.
About two-thirds of outbreaks are in care homes, but places such as hospitals, daycare centers and schools are also at risk.
Occupations that could be seriously affected include health and care workers, childcare workers, military personnel, cruise ship workers, flight attendants and food handlers.
The new trial is part of the government’s 10-year strategic partnership with Moderna, which will see the company build a new mRNA research, development and manufacturing facility and invest in clinical trials in the UK.
Professor Lucy Chappell, CEO of the NIHR and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care, said: ‘This new vaccine could make a difference to the lives of many – especially our most vulnerable citizens – and reduce the burden of seasonal diseases on people can reduce. the NHS.
‘Leveraging the UK’s expertise in vaccine development, the DHSC through the NIHR and Moderna are delivering this large-scale trial at rapid pace so that people in the UK and around the world can benefit from it more quickly.’