A message from Amy.
I’m delighted to share the news we’ve all been waiting for: the vaccine paper has been published in eBioMedicine, part of THE LANCET group.
More details and the link below. But first, step back in time with me…
St George’s Hospital, London 1983. 42 years ago. There’s something in his eyes that makes this my all-time favourite photo of Dad (aka Prof John Hermon-Taylor). The sparkle of optimism and deep love of humanity. The thirst for scientific knowledge and hope that his new hypothesis held answers for the Crohn’s disease patients he cared for like his own children. The steely determination to see it through. He never lost that.
I know if he had lived to see this day, the first words to pass his lips would be thank you: ‘THANK YOU for all your support, your patience, your trust, your shared hopes. We couldn’t have done it without you’.
I would also like to share my deep gratitude to our core team admins, who’ve done so much to keep the awareness and fundraising going, and to the patients and volunteers who took part in the trials.
Amy Hermon-Taylor
About the paper:
A phase 1b clinical trial to determine the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of simian adenovirus and poxvirus vectored vaccines against a Mycobacterium avium complex subspecies in patients with active Crohn’s disease
Findings from a Phase 1b clinical trial suggest that novel vaccines against a Mycobacterium avium complex subspecies in patients with active Crohn’s disease are safe and well-tolerated. The trial, led by researchers from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the Jenner Institute at Oxford University and King’s College London, in collaboration with HAV Vaccines Limited, is published in eBioMedicine, part of THE LANCET’s Discovery Science. The study is a first step in exploring a novel approach to managing this chronic inflammatory condition.
Background: Crohn’s disease is a long-term, inflammatory condition of the digestive tract, associated with significant patient burden and complications. Previous research suggests that Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), a bacterium that causes Johne’s disease in animals, may be involved in the disease process. Standard treatments for Crohn’s disease largely focus on symptom control rather than addressing possible underlying factors, such as MAP infection. In this trial, researchers tested two viral vectored vaccines, ChAdOx2 HAV and MVA HAV, designed to induce an immune response against MAP in patients with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease. The trial’s primary aim was to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of these vaccines in 28 participants.
Key findings: The study divided participants into five groups, receiving either one or both vaccines in a prime-boost regimen. Over a follow-up period of 112 days, the vaccines were found to be safe and well-tolerated. Immunogenicity data demonstrated an immune response, particularly T-cell activity, in those receiving the prime-boost regimen.
Future research: The researchers point out that while these early results are encouraging, the study’s primary objective was to assess safety. Accordingly, further trials will be needed to evaluate the efficacy of this vaccine approach. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to confirm these results and determine the vaccines’ potential therapeutic benefit for Crohn’s disease.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/pii/S2352396425000143