Professor Ian Frazer brought the cervical cancer vaccine and now, he is developing a vaccine for herpes and has had success in trials to treat the virus. He is also working on a separate treatment for HPV virus that triggers cervical cancers. This treatment would be beneficial to women who are already old to receive the cervical cancer vaccine and those who already have the HPV virus.
An Australian healthcare group named Admedus announced on Thursday to the stock exchange the results of the Phase 1 trial of Professor Frazer’s vaccine to treat herpes simplex virus. Nineteen out of twenty individuals in the trial had produced T-cells in response to HSV2 that causes genital herpes. The Phase 1 trial tested the vaccine for efficacy and safety in uninfected individuals and it will now be tested to larger group of individuals who have HSV2.
Around one out of six Australians carry the virus that triggers skin lesions and one out of four Australians aged from 40 to 49 have the virus. David Rhodes, an Admedus science officer, said that the main goal of the vaccine is not to prevent the spread of the virus but to cure it. He said that they want to reduce the frequency of the lesions.
The trials will be extended if the vaccine can also work to prevent the spread of the virus. However, this type of study will take a long time and needs a lot of individuals. The Phase 1 trial produced T-cell response in 95% of the humans it was tested. T-cells are killer cells that can detect cells infected with virus and kill them.
The study revealed variable proof that the vaccine produces antibody response to the virus. Mr. Rhodes stated that the Phase 1 trial had provided a manifestation of what strengths of the vaccine works effectively and should be tested further. If further tests are successful, then the vaccine will be on the market after five years.
Mr. Rhodes said that the vaccine is an Australian treatment being produced by an Australian company. Professor Frazer is also working with Admedus to come up with a treatment vaccine for HPV viruses that cause cervical cancer. That program is running one step behind the vaccine and it is not quite at Phase 1 trials stage yet. Professor Frazer is also planning to develop a vaccine for some skin cancers.