Merck's Ebola vaccine found to be effective by expert panel

LONDON — Merck & Co's vaccine for Ebola is "highly effective", according to an interim analysis from a panel of experts who recommended that a late-stage trial should continue.

The vaccine was 100 per cent effective when it was tested on more than 4,000 people who were in close contact with Ebola patients in the African nation of Guinea, the World Health Organization said, citing a study published today (July 31) in the Lancet medical journal. The trial of the vaccine, called Ebola ca suffit — "Ebola, that's enough" in French — began on March 23.

Ebola has killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa following an outbreak at the end of 2013. While the incidence has fallen off sharply, it has not been eradicated, with seven confirmed cases in the week of July 29. The drug from Merck is one of several vaccines in clinical trials, with GlaxoSmithKline and Novavax also developing medicines.

"This is an extremely promising development," Dr Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO, said in the statement. "An effective vaccine will be another very important tool for both current and future Ebola outbreaks."

The vaccine was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and licensed to NewLink Genetics. In November, Merck entered in an agreement to research, develop and distribute the drug.

NewLink shares surged 7.6 per cent to US$55.04 (S$75.28) in early trading, while Merck rose 1.9 per cent to US$59.60. Kenilworth, New Jersey-based Merck gets more than 10 per cent of its US$40 billion in annual revenue from sales of vaccines for illnesses such as human papillomavirus, or HPV, and shingles.

REGULATORY APPROVAL

In the study, people were protected against the Ebola virus within six to 10 days of vaccination. The late-stage trial is continuing, and other studies are in progress, with the goal of submitting the vaccine for regulatory approval around the world.

To create the vaccine, scientists removed a gene from another virus, vesicular stomatitis, and replaced it with an Ebola virus gene that can't cause the disease alone. That could let people who get the vaccine develop antibodies against Ebola.

It is still unclear how significant or long the immune response to the vaccine will be, Merck said. BLOOMBERG