Indiana University Bloomington researchers, in collaboration with GIVAX, Inc., have developed a groundbreaking rotavirus-norovirus combination vaccine to combat norovirus, a highly contagious virus responsible for about 100,000 childhood deaths globally each year.
Led by IU biology professor John Patton, the team genetically manipulated rotavirus vaccine strains to drive the production of norovirus protein to trigger an antibody response from the immune system. This inexpensive oral combination vaccine could make a huge difference for children in developing countries.
Patton and his team were awarded a $1.2 million grant from a venture backed start-up, GIVAX, Inc., to support the development of the first combination oral vaccine. In addition, this technology was developed with support from National Institutes of Health research grants.
The U.S. Patent Office recently issued a patent covering the technology used to develop the norovirus vaccine. Patton and his team hope to make new combinations of vaccines against other pathogens and provide protection for other age groups, including babies and adults.
The research was first published in an article titled, “First-Of-Its-Kind Vaccine to Potentially Reduce Childhood Norovirus Deaths on a Global Scale,” and posted on the AUTM website.
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