Trial evaluates one week intradermal rabies vaccine regimen in adult trial

Researchers in India evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a one-week intradermal rabies vaccination regimen compared to a standard one-month schedule, PLOS Medicine reported. The phase 4, single-centre, open-label equivalence randomised controlled trial involved healthy adult human participants. Jeromie Wesley Vivian Thangaraj and colleagues conducted the research to determine if a condensed treatment timeline could protect patients effectively. [1]

The trial compared the one-week Institut Pasteur du Cambodge regimen against the one-month Updated Thai Red Cross regimen. Investigators tested two rabies vaccines that are widely used across India, specifically the Purified Chick Embryo Cell vaccine and the Purified Vero Cell Rabies vaccine. PLOS Medicine reported that shorter post-exposure prophylaxis schedules may improve patient compliance and access by reducing required clinic visits and overall vaccine quantities per individual. [1]

Immunogenicity describes the ability of a foreign substance, such as an antigen in a vaccine, to stimulate an immune response within a human or animal body. In medical development, wanted immunogenicity ensures that an injected antigen triggers protective antibodies against a targeted pathogen. The tested regimens rely on historic foundations, including the Pasteur Institute, which was founded in 1887 after Louis Pasteur created early rabies vaccines, and the Thai Red Cross Society. [2][3][4]