Approximately 600-700 million people are infected by hookworm, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Hookworm infection ranks number one in terms of Years Lost from Disability from a neglected infectious disease, and among the top 3 in terms of lost Disability-Adjusted Life Years.
HOOKVAC will be developing the first and only vaccine for human hookworm infection. A bivalent, low-cost vaccine candidate will be clinically tested for the first time in an African disease endemic population. This will be done in Gabon in a very typical setting within the Central African rainforest belt, where the incidence of hookworm infections is 30%. Inspired by preparatory research, HOOKVAC believes that it can develop the vaccine with at least 80% efficacy against moderate and heavy hookworm infections that lasts at five years after immunization. Cost effectiveness modelling has shown that such a vaccine will significantly improve the efficacy of the current mass drug administration programs. HOOKVAC will play a crucial role in advancing toward large scale efficacy studies in African endemic areas.
