The early-stage Phase 2 trial will initially evaluate the safety of the investigational vaccine, which aims to support the body’s immune response to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), while also examining its potential effect on new MS disease activity.
Targeting the virus could offer a possible new treatment strategy for MS, but further evidence is needed to determine the approach’s safety and effectiveness, experts say.
Horizon trial
The UK has some of the highest rates of MS in the world. The condition develops when the immune system, which usually protects the body by fighting off infection, attacks the brain and spinal cord.
The investigational vaccine will be trialled in patients recently diagnosed with MS who have EBV, with 180 individuals to be recruited globally.
The Horizon trial will involve up to ten sites across the UK, led by the University of Edinburgh, and is sponsored by pharmaceutical company Moderna.
Suppress virus
EBV infects more than 90 per cent of people in the UK. It usually causes no symptoms but can lead to glandular fever. Once infected, the virus remains hidden in the body for life but can become active again.
The investigational vaccine aims to help train the immune system to keep the hidden virus suppressed, which is thought to be a potential underlying cause of MS.
Scientists are investigating whether population-wide vaccination against EBV might one day play a role in MS prevention, but experts caution this approach is at an early stage of testing and further research is required.