Yale researchers develop Lyme vaccine

A partnership between Yale researchers and SmithKline Beecham Biologicals has scored a big victory in the fight against Lyme disease.

LYMErix, product of years of research and testing, was finally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration in late December. The vaccine--the first to garner FDA approval--underwent clinical trials from 1994 to 1997 and should be on the market within the next few weeks.

According to SmithKline Beecham media representative Richard Koenig, "This vaccine is for people who work in, live in, or travel to areas where the disease is known to occur in high incidence." These areas include New England and Mid-Atlantic states, as well as the upper Midwest and the Pacific Coast.

Susan Tobias, director of information services at the American Lyme Disease Foundation, said that the vaccine will be a boon to the fight against the dangerous disease. "There are a variety of different things to prevent lyme disease, and a vaccine is a good addition to this arsenal,"
she said. "It appears to be effective from looking at clinical test results."

Lyme disease, an inflammatory disorder usually characterized by a skin rash, progresses to the cardiovascular and nervous systems and joints three days to four weeks following a tick bite. Dr. Stephen Malawista, a Yale professor and researcher who first diagnosed and named Lyme disease in 1975, has spent 25 years researching the disease. According to Malawista, "[A Lyme vaccine] is mainly for two groups of people: those who live in areas where Lyme disease is endemic, places where there are a lot of Lyme disease, and those who are afraid of getting Lyme disease." Citing the statistic that 90 percent of Lyme disease occurs in eight states, the vaccine is targeted toward those who live in areas where the disease has been reported or is likely to occur.

LYMErix will also be able to help those who had already been treated for Lyme disease. For those who have had the disease for a long time, LYMErix will help build immunity to it. And for those who were treated quickly and never had a chance to build antibodies, the vaccine will boost their protective antibodies.

Even though vaccines have been developed, Malawista stressed that the goal of researchers will be to eradicate Lyme disease. "We're going to keep working until we cure every last person," he said. He explained that his current research focuses on "the small percentage of people who have persistent disease despite what would seem to be adequate treatment."

Tobias also remained focused on improving prevention even more. "The more we understand about how this disease works, the more we engage in preventive measures, it will be better protection not only against Lyme disease, but also other tick-borne illnesses," she said.

Until the development of the vaccine, there were no foolproof methods to prevent Lyme disease, which has affected more than 99,000 people between 1982 and 1996, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. People were told to use DEET and effective insect repellants, and to wear protective clothing with tight collars and cuffs when in areas surrounded by ticks. They were also advised to have pets wear tick-repellant collars, and told to inspect their skin to be sure that there were no ticks.

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