A Lyme disease vaccine is finally within the works, and Pfizer is taking the lead in developing the biological preparation. 

The Recent York City-headquartered pharmaceutical company announced Monday its plan to launch a big clinical trial of an experimental Lyme vaccine with its French partner, Valneva. 

The researchers involved within the trial are searching for hundreds of volunteers within the U.S. and Europe to check the vaccine — a significant move against Lyme disease in 20 years, in response to the Associated Press. 

The 2 corporations are desirous to avoid the previous pitfalls in the event of a Lyme vaccine, so that they wish to give you a preparation that may protect each adults and children as young as 5 from the tick-borne illness. 

The announcement comes amid the growing problem of Lyme disease cases which can be said to be rising amid the warming weather. When the environment is warm, the bacteria liable for the disease could spread since the ticks that function vectors expand their habitat. 

Within the U.S., about 476,000 people get treated for Lyme disease every year, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Then again, Europe has about 130,000 yearly infections, per Pfizer. 

It’s value noting that almost all people clear the infection through antibiotics when the disease is detected early. Nonetheless, others suffer long-term symptoms because of injury to the nervous system or joints, as identified by CDC. 

This wouldn’t be the primary vaccine for Lyme. LYMErix was once available within the U.S., however it was pulled off the market in 2002 over safety concerns and the dearth of demand. People have since relied on bug sprays and tick checks for defense and prevention. 

The brand new vaccine, VLA15, is run in three primary doses followed by a booster. The trial will enroll 6,000 volunteers, including kids, from countries where Lyme is an issue. Half of them will receive a placebo for the three doses, while the opposite half will receive a placebo booster. 

In the sooner trials, VLA15 showed “a robust immune response and satisfactory safety profile.” It is alleged to guard against six types of protein expressed by the bacterial species present in Europe and North America, USA Today reported. 

“With increasing global rates of Lyme disease, providing a recent option for people to assist protect themselves from the disease is more necessary than ever. We hope that the info generated from the Phase 3 study will further support the positive evidence for VLA15 up to now,” Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer’s senior vice chairman and head of vaccine research & development, said in a press release