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Japanese encephalitis and vaccines: past and future prospects

Japanische Enzephalitis und Impfstoffe: Rück- und Ausblick

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Zusammenfassung

Das Japanische Enzephalitis Virus, welches durch Stechmücken übertragen wird, ist in Asien die häufigste Ursache für Enzephalitis. Jährlich werden 30.000 bis 50.000 Erkrankungs- sowie 10.000 Todesfälle von Japanischer Enzephalitis gemeldet, und Schätzungen sprechen von bis zu 100.000 Fällen. Es gibt keine kausale Therapie der Flavivirusinfektion. Zur Prophylaxe hingegen sind Impfstoffe vorhanden, welche in Asien regional erzeugt und verwendet werden. Die Produktion des einzigen Impfstoffes, welcher international zugelassen war, nämlich JE-VAX®, wurde 2005 eingestellt, weshalb Engpässe in der Verfügbarkeit von Impfstoffen gegen Japanische Enzephalitis entstehen. Impfstoffe neuerer Generationen, welche auf Zellkulturen kultiviert werden, sind in Entwicklung. Beispielsweise wird eine inaktivierte Vakzine, welche auf Verozellen basiert und den Stamm Beijing-1 enthält, in Japan von Biken® und Kaketsuken® produziert. Eine weitere ist die inaktivierte Ganzvirusvakzine IC-51 (Stamm SA14-14-2), welche von der Österreichischen Firma Intercell® erzeugt wird. Ein dritter Impfstoff ist ebenfalls weit entwickelt, nämlich der gentechnisch hergestellte, chimäre Lebendimpfstoff ChimeriVax™-JE der Firma Acambis®, welche in Großbritannien und den USA ansässig ist. Die Impfstoffe neuer Generationen zeigen viel versprechende Ergebnisse und Markteinführungen werden in naher Zukunft erwartet. Die Impfstoffe weisen eine exzellente Verträglichkeit auf und werden nicht nur in hochendemischen Ländern mit hohen Infektionsraten Verwendung finden, sondern auch bei Reisenden und im Bereich des Militärs.

Summary

The Japanese encephalitis virus is the main cause of encephalitis in Asia. The vectors are mosquitoes. Every year 30,000 to 50,000 cases and 10,000 deaths from Japanese encephalitis are reported, and estimates go up to 100,000 cases. No effective antiviral therapy exists to treat this flavivirus infection. For prophylaxis vaccines are available. In Asia numerous vaccines are used regionally. The production of the only vaccine that was internationally licensed, JE-VAX®, was ceased in 2005. Therefore a shortage of Japanese encephalitis vaccines might occur before new generation vaccines based on cell cultures will be available. An inactivated Vero cell-derived vaccine based on the Beijing-1 strain is developed in Japan by Biken® and Kaketsuken®. Another promising vaccine candidate is the inactivated whole-virus vaccine IC-51 (Strain SA14-14-2) by the Austrian company Intercell®. The third interesting vaccine candidate being in the late stages of clinical trials is the genetically engineered, chimeric and live-attenuated vaccine ChimeriVax™-JE by the UK/USA-based company Acambis®. The new vaccines in the pipeline show promising results and market licensures are expected in the near future. Showing excellent tolerability, these vaccines will not only be used in the population living in endemic areas where the risk of infection is extremely high, but also for travellers and military personnel.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Maria Paulke-Korinek & Herwig Kollaritsch

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  1. Maria Paulke-Korinek
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  2. Herwig Kollaritsch
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Correspondence to Maria Paulke-Korinek.

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Paulke-Korinek, M., Kollaritsch, H. Japanese encephalitis and vaccines: past and future prospects. Wien Klin Wochenschr 120 (Suppl 4), 15–19 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-008-1071-9

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