FDA Approves First Human Trial of a Zika Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first human trial of an experimental Zika virus vaccine. Developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals and GeneOne Life Science, the DNA-based vaccine known as GLS-5700 will be given to 40 people in a Phase I trial that began in July. Preclinical data from animal studies suggested that the vaccine could include a strong immune response that might protect against mosquito-transmitted Zika. The human study, however, will not test how effective the vaccine is at fighting the Zika virus. Instead, the trial will test the vaccine’s safety and appropriate dosage levels. If found to be safe, larger trials of the vaccine will test its efficacy, and those will take years to complete.