Merck: Ebola Vaccine with Durable Protection in Nonhuman Primates
- Ray Sullivan
- Apr 1
- 2 min read
Merck & Co. Rahway, NJ and colleagues at US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, MD investigated the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-Zaire Ebolavirus (EBOV) envelope glycoprotein vaccine (rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP, known commercially as ERVEBO®) in nonhuman primate (NHP) models. Their two studies reinforce the strong immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine. The findings highlight:
The vaccine's effectiveness across a wide range of doses in providing short-term protection.
The durability of antibody responses for up to at least 12 months.
A high level of protection against lethal EBOV challenge for at least 8 months following vaccination.
The complexity of long-term immunity to EBOV, suggesting that sustained antibody levels alone may not fully explain protection beyond a certain timeframe.
The relevance of the NHP model for understanding the vaccine's performance in humans, given the correlation with clinical trial data.
These studies contribute valuable preclinical data supporting the continued use and potential optimization of the rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP vaccine for Ebola virus disease prevention. Further research into the specific immune correlates of long-term protection will be important for guiding future vaccination strategies.
Shurtleff AC, Trefry JC, Dubey S, Sunay MME, Liu K, Chen Z, Eichberg M, Silvera PM, Kwilas SA, Hooper JW, Martin S, Simon JK, Coller BG, Monath TP. rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP Vaccine Is Highly Immunogenic and Efficacious Across a Wide Dose Range in a Nonhuman Primate EBOV Challenge Model. Viruses. 2025 Feb 28;17(3):341. doi: 10.3390/v17030341. PMID: 40143273; PMCID: PMC11945660.
Bixler SL, Shurtleff AC, Sunay MME, Liu K, Chen Z, Eichberg M, Simon JK, Coller BG, Dubey S. Durability of Immunogenicity and Protection of rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP Vaccine in a Nonhuman Primate EBOV Challenge Model. Viruses. 2025 Feb 28;17(3):342. doi: 10.3390/v17030342. PMID: 40143270; PMCID: PMC11945958.
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