NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Tulane University is now moving into clinical trials with a new vaccine used to curb the antibiotic-resistant disease that leads to pneumonia.
The vaccine, CladeVax, comes in the form of a nasal spray that will ward off Klebsiella pneumonia by targeting the mucosa in the nose, throat, and lungs. The spray was created using a protein taken from E. coli bacteria and combined with antigens from the outer membrane proteins from the target bacteria.
“This is an entirely novel vaccine platform, from the use of the adjuvant to the needle-less route of administration,” said Kolls.
Doctors are reporting a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that leads to an increase in hospitalizations among children and the elderly. Identified as “super-bugs”, medical professionals are researching for new ways to fight but Tulane University School of Medicine researchers Elizabeth Norton, Ph.D., and Jay Kolls, MD are taking the more preventative approach.
“Multidrug-resistant bacteria are causing more severe infections and are a growing public health threat. Vaccines targeting these pathogens represent the most cost-effective option, particularly if you can use this vaccine to prevent or treat the infection in high-risk individuals,” said Norton.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is said to be the third leading cause of pneumonia hospitalizations, and the second leading cause of bloodstream infections as the highest incidence of serious infections.
The targeted population for the vaccination is those identified as high-risk, immunocompromised, diabetics, or organ transplant recipients.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded the university $16 million to bring the trial into phase one. The first round of testing will be performed on animals and nonhuman primates for dosage purposes and safety before moving on to clinical trials. Those collaborating in the study include:
- Tulane National Primate Research Center
- The School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- Tulane Clinical Translational Unit
- The University of North Carolina
- Contractors for GMP manufacturing
“If this succeeds, we will have another arsenal for the growing number of antibiotic-resistant sources of pneumonia or bloodstream infections,” Norton said. “And we can hopefully expand this nasal spray delivery platform to other infections, working on a single, combination vaccine that is needle-less and targets several organisms at once.”
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