Norovirus, testing first mRNA vaccine

In a statement released to The Guardian magazine, Dr. Patrick Moore, a general practitioner and the national lead investigator for a forthcoming UK clinical trial, announced the initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial, Nova 301. This study will enroll 25,000 adult participants and aims to evaluate the efficacy of the first mRNA-based vaccine developed to combat the Norovirus infection that causes 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths worldwide each year. A total of 27 primary and secondary care centres in England will be included in the trial. Additionally, the trial will be conducted in Scotland and Wales, recruiting approximately 2,500 participants, predominantly individuals above 60 years old, from the end of October 2024 onwards. Recruitment will primarily target individuals from Japan, Canada, and Australia. The British study was conducted as a collaborative effort involving the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the pharmaceutical company Moderna, the manufacturer of the vaccine.