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Moderna Doses First Participant in Study of EBV mRNA Vaccine
The Phase 1 study will enroll nearly 270 participants 18 to 30 years of age to assess the safety and tolerability of Moderna’s Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) mRNA vaccine candidate.
Moderna recently dosed the first participant in a Phase 1 study of its mRNA vaccine, mRNA-1189, for Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV).
The Eclipse study will enroll nearly 270 participants 18 to 30 years of age from 15 different sites in the US to assess the safety and tolerability of mRNA-1189. Moderna is developing the vaccine to prevent EBV-induced IM and potentially EBV infection.
“The start of this Phase 1 study is a significant milestone as we continue to advance mRNA vaccines against latent viruses, which remain in the body for life after infection and can lead to chronic medical conditions,” Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said in the announcement.
“Our research team is working to bring even more vaccines against latent viruses to the clinic. We believe these vaccines could have a profound impact on quality of health for hundreds of millions of people around the world,” Bancel continued.
EBV is a common viral infection generally contracted in early childhood or adolescence and that spreads through bodily fluid. About 83 percent of Americans are seropositive by 19 years of age.
EBV is responsible for nearly 90 percent of infectious mononucleosis in the US annually. IM can debilitate patients for weeks to months and may require hospitalizations for serious complications.
mRNA-1189 contains four mRNA’s that encode EBV envelope glycoproteins. These glycoproteins mediate viral entry into B-cells and epithelial surface cells, the primarymajor targets of EBV infection.
Currently, there is no FDA-approved vaccine for EBV or IM.
mRNA-1189 is structured similarly to Moderna’s cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine candidate, mRNA-1657. mRNA-1657 combines six mRNAs in one vaccine, which encodes for two proteins located on the surface of CMV.
In January 2021, Moderna began developing antigen treatments for both EBV and CMV. After a successful Phase 1 and Phase 2 trial, the company initiated a Phase 3 trial for its CMV vaccine in November 2021.
The CMVictory study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of mRNA-1647 against CMV in 8,000 women aged 16 to 40 years across 150 sites globally.
