A new vaccine trial for mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is being launched in the UK to secure public health, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has announced.
Delivered by the NIHR Clinical Research Network, the mPower clinical trial will investigate the efficacy of an mRNA mpox vaccine.
While public health measures have helped stop the spread of mpox in the UK, the virus still remains a threat globally, and there is only one licensed vaccine for mpox in Europe.
“Mpox is a global public health threat…”
Researchers from University Hospitals Bristol and West NHS Foundation Trust are calling for 175 more volunteers for the study.
Dr Rajeka Lazarus, national coordinating investigator for the study, hopes to see the same support afforded to mpox research as could be observed for Covid-19.
“Mpox is a global public health threat, and more vaccines are urgently needed to prevent future outbreaks,” said Rajeka.
Participants are also being recruited via the NIHR’s Be Part of Research system – the first UK-wide registry for all health and care specialties.
“This demonstrates our strength in clinical research.”
The mPower trial is being sponsored by Moderna and is part of the organisation’s wider partnership with the UK Government.
The 10-year agreement will bring mRNA vaccine development – like this trial – to the UK to further build resilience against future health threats.
“We’re really pleased that Moderna has chosen to run its mpox trial in the UK,” said, Dr Matthew Hallsworth, the NIHR’s director of strategic partnerships. “This demonstrates our strength in clinical research.”
Matthew added that the collaboration will ensure the UK is at the forefront of vaccine technology and that he hopes trial recruitment can match the success seen during the pandemic.
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