Hope for prevention of herpes through new vaccine

A University of Queensland spin-off company is about to start clinical trials that could result in the prevention and treatment of genital herpes, a virus that affects hundreds of thousands of people, threatens newborn babies and is believed to contribute to the development of HIV. Coridon Pty Ltd will soon start a Phase I HSV-2 vaccine clinical trial in Brisbane. Professor Ian Frazer said the new technology could eventually prevent and cure the herpes simplex virus (HSV-2), and could also lead to other effective vaccinations for incurable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. Professor Frazer, CEO and Director of Research at Brisbane’s Translational Research Institute (TRI) and lead researcher at The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute (UQDI), is leading development of the vaccine. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates more than half a billion people aged 15–49 years are living with HSV-2 worldwide. “HSV-2 genital herpes affects up to one in eight Australians, and...