Hopes for first Zika vaccine in sight after antibody cocktail halts infection in monkeys

A cocktail of three antibodies has shown promise in preventing Zika virus infection in monkeys, and moves next into trials in humans, researchers said on Wednesday.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus swept across Latin America, the Caribbean and southern United States in 2015 and 2016, sparking a global health emergency due to its ability to cause brain-related birth defects.

While the threat posed by Zika has subsided because people cannot become infected twice, researchers are pressing on with attempts to develop the first vaccine to prevent Zika infection and its most dangerous complication, microcephaly in fetuses and babies.

“This is a promising intervention to prevent and treat Zika virus infection during pregnancy,” said David Watkins, a professor at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

“We would like to develop this antibody combination and get it into clinical trials as soon as possible.”