Diarrheal diseases remain one of the biggest health threats for young children in many parts of the world.
Although people in wealthier countries often recover quickly with clean water and medical care, severe diarrhea can be life-threatening in low- and middle-income countries.
It can cause dangerous dehydration, poor nutrition, slower growth, and even death. One of the major causes is a bacterium called enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, or ETEC.
Scientists have worked for decades to develop a vaccine, but progress has been difficult.
Now researchers from the University of Bergen and NORCE have reached an important milestone. Their vaccine technology has been licensed to the international vaccine company Valneva, which will continue developing it into a possible future vaccine.
The work represents years of international research and collaboration.
The project involved scientists from the University of Bergen, NORCE, Institut Pasteur, the Indian Institute of Science, Tulane University and South Dakota State University. The commercial agreement was supported by VIS, which manages innovation and technology transfer for the Norwegian research institutions.
The goal is to create a vaccine against ETEC, one of the world’s most common bacterial causes of severe diarrhea. Millions of infections occur every year, especially among children in poorer countries and travelers visiting these regions. Young children are particularly vulnerable because repeated infections can affect nutrition, growth, learning and long-term health.
The research builds on a program that began in the 1980s, while the specific technology behind the licensing agreement has been under development since 2009. Instead of searching for one dramatic breakthrough, the scientists steadily solved many small scientific problems. Their work focused on a harmful toxin called STh, one of the main substances ETEC uses to cause disease. This toxin has been one of the hardest targets for vaccine researchers because it is very small and difficult for the immune system to recognize safely.
By carefully redesigning this toxin and improving their understanding over many years, the researchers created a promising vaccine technology that is now ready for industrial development.
Under the agreement, Valneva has exclusive rights to continue developing the vaccine. Importantly, the agreement also includes plans that could help make the vaccine available through public health programs in low- and middle-income countries if development is successful. This could improve access for the populations that need it most.
Scientists say there is still no broadly effective vaccine against ETEC despite many years of research. A successful vaccine could prevent millions of illnesses each year and reduce childhood hospital admissions and deaths. It could also help reduce antibiotic use and slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Although the licensing agreement is exciting, several important steps remain.
The vaccine must continue through laboratory studies, clinical trials in people, safety testing, effectiveness studies and regulatory approval before it can become widely available. This process usually takes many years.
Study review and analysis: This announcement marks an important step from academic research toward real-world vaccine development rather than proving that a vaccine already works in people. Its strength lies in decades of scientific research and strong international collaboration.
However, clinical trials are still needed to confirm safety and effectiveness. If future studies are successful, this technology could make a major contribution to reducing childhood diarrheal disease worldwide.
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Source: University of Bergen.
