MVA85A

MVA85A is a tuberculosis vaccine candidate that is currently under investigation. It is designed to be a booster to the BCG vaccine, the only currently available vaccine against tuberculosis. MVA85A is the first new tuberculosis vaccine candidate to reach Phase IIb clinical trials since the BCG vaccine was introduced in 1921.

History

MVA85A was developed by researchers at the University of Oxford. The vaccine candidate entered Phase IIb clinical trials in 2009, making it the first new tuberculosis vaccine candidate to reach this stage of development in nearly a century.

Design

MVA85A is designed to boost the immune response initiated by the BCG vaccine. It is a modified vaccinia virus that expresses the antigen 85A from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Clinical trials

In 2013, results from a Phase IIb clinical trial in South Africa were published. The trial involved nearly 3,000 infants who had previously been vaccinated with BCG. The results showed that MVA85A did not significantly boost the efficacy of the BCG vaccine.

Future development

Despite the disappointing results of the Phase IIb trial, research into MVA85A continues. Future trials may focus on different populations, such as adults or individuals with HIV.

See also

• Tuberculosis vaccine
• BCG vaccine
• Vaccinia
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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