FACTBOX-Hantavirus vaccines and treatments under development
Traws Pharma TRAW | 0.00 | |
Moderna MRNA | 0.00 |
May 20 (Reuters) - Drug development efforts targeting the rare hantavirus infection have gained renewed attention following a deadly outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius last month.
There are currently no approved vaccines or targeted antiviral treatments, and care is largely supportive. Here are some companies and institutions which have hantavirus treatments or vaccines under development:
VACCINES
Organization |
What It Is |
Strains Targeted |
Stage |
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) |
DNA vaccine |
Hantaan + Puumala; Andes
|
Hantaan + Puumala: mid-stage trial ongoing. Andes: early-stage trial complete |
EnsiliTech |
mRNA vaccine designed to remain stable at room temperature |
Hantaan |
Pre-clinical |
UK Health Security Agency |
Modified Vaccinia Ankara, a weakened virus platform |
Seoul + Hantaan (Old World strains causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome) |
Early-stage trial ongoing |
Korea University / Moderna MRNA.O |
mRNA vaccine |
Old World strains causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome |
Pre-clinical |
University of Saskatchewan, Canada |
Three approaches: mRNA, Newcastle Disease virus-vectored vaccine, protein subunit vaccine |
Sin Nombre, Andes (New World strains causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome) |
Pre-clinical |
PROVIDENT Consortium |
Vaccine and antibody development platform targeting multiple viral infections, including hantavirus |
Multiple strains, including Andes |
Pre-clinical |
TREATMENTS
Organization |
What it is |
Strains targeted |
Stage |
Traws Pharma TRAW.O |
Small-molecule antiviral |
Hantaan virus |
Pre-clinical |
USAMRIID and SAB Biotherapeutics |
Antibody medicine |
Hantaan, Puumala, Andes, Sin Nombre |
Pre-clinical |
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Prometheus consortium / Mapp Biopharmaceutical |
Monoclonal antibody treatment isolated from hantavirus survivors |
Multiple strains |
Pre-clinical, development but has stalled due to lack of funding |
Ichor Biologics |
Antibody-based treatments |
Multiple strains |
Pre-clinical (last updated its hantavirus program in 2019 and did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on its progress) |
UCLA |
Antiviral drug favipiravir |
Andes and broad strains |
Pre-clinical |
ORF Biologics |
Protein-based approach to develop hantavirus diagnostics and treatments |
Multiple strains |
Pre-clinical |
Note: "Old World" strains are hantaviruses found in Europe and Asia that cause a kidney disease known as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, while "New World" strains in the Americas cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe lung disease
Sources: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, company comments and organization press releases