The spray vaccine against urinary infections, such as cystitis, could soon become a real alternative to antibiotics, which are not always effective.
- In search of an alternative to antibiotics, researchers have just published promising results from the clinical trial of an oral vaccine against urinary infections. The candidate vaccine, called MV140, is administered as a spray, sprayed under the tongue.
- 54% of study participants remained free of UTIs for nine years after receiving the vaccine, and no notable side effects were reported. The average infection-free period for the entire cohort (89 people) was four and a half years.
- “Very easy to administer, this oral vaccine could be delivered by general practitioners as part of a three-month course,” according to the researchers.
Urinary infections represent the most common bacterial infection: they affect one in two women and one in five men during their lifetime, sometimes with painful symptoms. Recurrent infections – between 20 and 30% of cases – require antibiotic treatment, but “with the increase in urinary infections resistant to antibiotics and the loss of effectiveness of these drugs […]new ways to prevent and treat these infections are essential.”
In search of an alternative to antibiotics, researchers from the Royal Berkshire Hospital in the United Kingdom have just published promising results from the clinical trial of an oral vaccine against recurrent urinary infections.
Urinary infections: a vaccine administered as a spray under the tongue
As part of their work, presented at the last congress of the European Association of Urology, the scientists observed 89 volunteers with recurrent urinary infections, including 72 women, during a follow-up period of nine years. The candidate vaccine, called MV140, was administered to them in a spray, sprayed under the tongue, every day for three months.
“Developed by the Spanish pharmaceutical company Immunotek, it contains four bacterial species suspended with water”can we read in a communicated. While researchers had previously studied the short-term safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, this is the first long-term follow-up study to be reported on a global scale.
Half of participants spared from urinary infections for nine years
As a result, 54% of patient volunteers remained free of urinary tract infections for nine years after receiving the vaccine, and no notable side effects were reported. The average infection-free period for the entire cohort was four and a half years. “Overall, this vaccine is safe in the long term and our participants reported experiencing fewer UTIs, and fewer serious infections, underline the scientists. Many of those who have had a urinary infection despite the vaccine have told us that simply drinking lots of water is enough to treat it.”
The main advantage of the MV140 vaccine is its method of inoculation. “Very easy to administer, it could be delivered by general practitioners as part of a three-month treatment,” according to the researchers, who specify that “many patients say the new treatment has restored their quality of life.” “This vaccine is a potential breakthrough in the prevention of urinary tract infections and could offer a safe and effective alternative to conventional treatments”they conclude.
