Zika Virus Vaccine

Background:

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a Flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes. First discovered in 1947, it remained a minor infectious entity until 2007, when the first large outbreak was reported in Micronesia. Subsequent severe outbreaks in French Polynesia (2013-14) and in Brazil (2015) put ZIKV on the map. Those outbreaks showed that Zika Virus is not only transmitted by mosquitos, but also by sexual contact and in utero, from Mom to fetus. While most people infected with ZIKV have few to no symptoms; the outbreak in Brazil was associated with increased microencephaly, with other severe congenital malformations, and with neurological complications. By 2016, 39 countries and territories in the Americas had confirmed local, vector-borne transmission of ZIKV as well as superinfection from one person to another. That, coupled with the severity of symptoms, triggered a campaign to create a robust ZIKV vaccine.

Technology Overview:

In a collaborative effort, scientists in the Army and at SUNY have created and tested a killed ZIKA vaccine. It has undergone Phase 1 and 2 testing in pregnant mouse and pregnant marmoset models. It has also been tested in humans.
Further Details:

1. Safety and immunogenicity of a Zika purified inactivated virus vaccine given via standard, accelerated, or shortened schedules: a single-centre, double-blind, sequential-group, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Sep;20(9):1061-1070. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30085-2. Epub 2020 May 6. PMID: 32618279; PMCID: PMC7472641. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32618279/) 
2. Preliminary aggregate safety and immunogenicity results from three trials of a purified inactivated Zika virus vaccine candidate: phase 1, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Lancet. 2018 Feb 10;391(10120):563-571. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33106-9. Epub 2017 Dec 5. Erratum in: Lancet. 2020 Jun 20;395(10241):1906. PMID: 29217375; PMCID:PMC5884730. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29217375/) 
3. Sci Transl Med. 2017 Dec 13;9(420):eaao4163. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aao4163. Erratum in: Sci Transl Med. 2018 Jul 18;10(450):PMID: 29237759; PMCID: PMC5747972. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29237759/)

Advantages:

 
•    Broad application

Applications:

•    Prevention of ZIKV infection with a vaccine that is safe even for pregnant women.

Intellectual Property Summary:

Zika virus vaccine and Methods of Production is protected by patent 11,033,615 which issued on June 15, 2021 https://patents.google.com/patent/US11033615B2/

Stage of Development:

TRL 4 – Technology validated in lab

Licensing Status:

This technology is available for licensing.