Tuberculosis vaccine passes phase I trial
Thursday, March 24, 2011 - 13:00
in Health & Medicine
(PhysOrg.com) -- The currently available tuberculosis vaccine BCG is over 90 years old and its effectiveness is declining. An increasing number of mycobacterial strains are emerging, against which the current vaccine provides no protection. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin have developed an improved vaccine that has being undergoing tests on humans in clinical trials since 2008. The results of the phase I trial show that the vaccine candidate fulfils safety requirements. Initial results of the phase Ib trial indicate that the vaccine candidates active principle is effective.