Singapore: Allied Healthcare has announced that its Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-2) vaccine has received ethical approval to commence a phase I, dose ranging, clinical trial.

Professor Ian Frazer was the brain behind the development of the first in class vaccine for HSV-2 genital herpes, which affects up to one-in-six Americans, and for which there is currently no curative treatment. The vaccine technology utilizes a patented optimization technology that offers the potential of being both a preventative and therapeutic vaccine.

The phase I study will vaccinate 20 healthy volunteers via intradermal injection into the forearms with a goal to examine the safety of the vaccine, as well as detect if an antibody and T-cell response can be generated by people. Along with safety data, the results will indicate if the vaccine can stimulate an antibody (protective) response as well as T-cell response (therapeutic). The importance of the T-cell response is that it indicates the potential for the vaccine to be used as a treatment against herpes.

"This clinical trial approval represents a further significant milestone in Allied's commercialisation of next generation vaccines that are designed to have the power to both prevent and treat infectious diseases and cancers. We are delighted to be working with Professor Frazer and his team on taking this vaccine forward. The clinical trial will also prove the value of this technology in humans for use in a wide range of vaccines," said Mr Lee Rodne, CEO, Allied Healthcare Group.

"This is the beginning of an exciting period for our herpes vaccine. We have seen very encouraging results from animal studies and we expect pivotal data showing that our vaccine, which incorporates our patented optimisation technology, to produce similar immune responses in the clinic," said Professor Frazer.