Brazilian scientists in home stretch developing snail fever vaccine

Brazilian scientists will soon launch the final phase clinical trials of a potential vaccine against snail fever, a parasitic disease that has inflicted huge socio-economic damage comparable to malaria.

"This is the first time that a parasite vaccine produced with cutting- edge Brazilian technology reaches phase II clinical studies," chief scientist of the project, Miriam Tendler, said in a press release issued by Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the medical research center developing the vaccine.

"We are working to contribute to fighting a public health problem that affects poor populations in various parts of the world," she added.

According to information provided by the foundation, the disease is endemic in more than 70 countries, where 800 million people live at risk of infection, especially in Africa.

The year-long trials are to begin in the second half of September with the participation of nearly 350 volunteers in Senegal, where the disease is endemic.

If proven effective and safe, the vaccine could then become commercially available. The results of the study are expected in 2017.

The initiative is one of the priority projects by the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure populations in developing countries have access to cutting-edge health technologies, said the foundation.

The phase two clinical studies will be jointly carried out by the foundation, which is overseen by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, and Brazilian biotechnology company Orygen Biotecnologia S.A.

The vaccine is the "result of exemplary public-private partnerships," said Paulo Gadelha, president of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Endi