KHRC Commences Phase 1 (First-In-Human) Lassa fever Trial

March 30, 2023 | News | Reading time: 3 min

In a first of its kind at the Kintampo Health Research Centre, the centre began recruitment into a phase 1 Lassa fever trial in September 2022. A phase 1 trial is a first in human trial conducted to determine primarily the safety of an investigational product after the product has successfully passed the preclinical phase where several tests are conducted in the laboratory on animal models.

KHRC with sponsorship from Emergent Product Development Gaithersburg, Inc., is currently conducting a phase 1 Lassa fever vaccine trial in healthy adults in the Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District.

Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness. The disease is endemic in parts of West Africa including Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. There is currently no specific treatment or approved vaccine for Lassa fever.

As part of measure to protect the safety and well-being of participants, study staff received emergency medicine training in basic and advanced cardiac life support to build their capacity in the management of medical emergencies prior to the start of the study.

The centre is working closely with the Kintampo Municipal Hospital for quick referrals of participants for emergency care whenever necessary.

The centre has a 12-bed clinical trial unit equipped with consulting/examination rooms, a pharmacy unit, a specimen collection room, a nurse’s area, twelve patient rooms, an office and a kitchen.

This set up has emergency equipment including a crash cart with emergency medicines, oxygen cylinders and logistics to provide intranasal oxygen to participants, electric suction machine, ECG machine, defibrillator, and airway management devices including Ambu bag and masks, Guedel and laryngeal mask airways and endotracheal tubes.

Other available equipment for managing medical emergencies include BP machines, nebulizers, pulse oximeters. The unit is linked to the emergency unit of the Kintampo Municipal Hospital by a short walkway.

The current outbreak of Lassa fever in Ghana is wake up call to all stakeholders to speed up the development of vaccines and medicines to fight this disease. It is hoped that the development of Emergent’s candidate vaccine will become the first licensed vaccine for the prevention of Lassa fever.