RV3: A Rotavirus Vaccine for the Developing World

Key inventors

Professor Julie Bines
Dr Carl Kirkwood
Professor Ruth Bishop, AO
Dr Jim Buttery
Professor Graeme Barnes

Summary of the opportunity

The original RV3 vaccine, based on Australian research at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne, has been tested in clinical trials in Melbourne children. It was safe but not effective enough, and has been strengthened more than 10 fold in line with the current vaccines. The improved version has been manufactured under Good Manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions. The RV3 vaccine has TGA approval and a Phase I clinical trial was successfully completed in 2011. Phase II clinical trials is in development at two sites; New Zealand (Phase II a) and Indonesia (Phase II b). These two Phase II clinical trials are expected to commence in 2011 and occur concurrently.

The Problem / Target Market

Rotavirus infection is the leading cause of severe dehydrating diarrhoeal illness and deaths in children under five worldwide, resulting in two million hospitalisations and more than 500,000 deaths each year.

Recently released rotavirus vaccines (Rotashield and Rotarix) are effective, and entered the Australian National Immunisation Schedule on July 1st 2007. But at $150-200 per child, they are too costly for developing countries with the greatest burden of diarrhoeal disease due to rotavirus.

Technology, Stage of Development and Competitive Edge

The development pathway for RV3 vaccine is oversighted by an Advisory Committee chaired by Sir Gustav Nossal AC, with expert members from the investigation team at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne, and from WHO, USA, and Australia.
The development partners include Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and University of Melbourne and BioFarma.

Murdoch Childrens was successful in obtaining both an Australian government NHMRC grant and a Trans-Tasman HRC grant for the Phase I and II clinical trials to be conducted in Australia and New Zealand.