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Early efforts to produce a protein-based vaccine for herpes failed. But a new mRNA approach has outperformed the efficacy of the past vaccines in preclinical trials and is expected to be introduced in clinical trials in the second half of 2022, investigators say. This new approach for a prophylactic genital herpes vaccine showed great promise in early studies.1
Research into the mRNA herpes vaccine began long before the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were developed, says Harvey M. Friedman, MD, professor of medicine/infectious diseases at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
“We’re pretty far along in the research,” he says. “We are using the mRNA technology in a vaccine effort for preventing genital herpes. It’s not, at this point, intended for a treatment.”
The vaccine, which was studied in mice and guinea pigs, showed exceptionally good prevention. “We’re hopeful it will make it into humans this year,” Friedman says. “Sometime in the summer of 2022 is our target.”
This vaccine is good news for everyone at risk of STIs. More than one out of 10 Americans, age 49 years and younger, are infected with genital herpes, says Sita Awasthi, PhD, associate research professor in the infectious disease division at Perelman School of Medicine.
“This is important for so many...