urinary tract infections (UTI), better known as urinary tract infections, are one of the leading reasons for antibiotic prescriptions worldwide. It is estimated that half of women and one in five men suffer from them at some point in their lives. In Spain alone, almost 2 million cases were diagnosed in 2021. They often become recurrent, becoming a great source of discomfort for those who suffer from them. For this reason, there was a need to develop vaccine against urinary tract infections.
There were many attempts, but one of them was especially convincing. So much so that it is already sold in 54 countries. Near MV 140vaccine against urinary tract infections, which, although produced in a Spanish laboratory, has not yet been approved for use in that country.
The reason is mainly that they have not yet been carried out. long-term efficacy and safety studies. Studies have been published, but short-term, in mice, or without reviews. For the first time the company Immunotech conducted a long-term study of people who were followed for 9 years. Although it hasn’t been published yet, they unveiled it this weekend at Congress of the European Association of Urology, held in Paris. Its results are very positive. It should be noted that they were obtained only in 89 patients but they are so encouraging that perhaps, when they are published, they will be the final impetus for the use of this method in more countries. Who knows?
How does MV 140 work?
This UTI vaccine consists of four types of bacteria that most commonly cause UTIs: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis And Proteus vulgaris. All of them are inactive, so they activate the immune system’s response to their presence without causing disease.
Introduced in aerosol form with pineapple flavor. Patients should instill two sprays per day under the tongue for three months. After this time, they will in principle be protected, but if the vaccine loses its effectiveness, they can repeat the process some time later.
First long-term results
The study these scientists just presented was already published in 2017. This is the result of a clinical study conducted in Royal Berkshire Hospitalin the United Kingdom in 2015. However, long-term results were needed, both in terms of safety and effectiveness, and this is what will be presented now, once these have been completed. 9 years.
A total of 89 people took part in the study, of whom 72 women and 17 men. All of them reported recurrent urinary tract infections. These are the so-called those who have at least 3 episodes per year or 2 within 6 months.
None of them had a urine infection at the time of administration, but were later questioned to see if they had contracted an infection. 9 years later, 54% reported being completely free of UTIs.. The rest, although not completely free, have also improved significantly. The average time without infection was 4 and a half years. Moreover, many of them reported that the episodes were much milder. In some cases this was solved simply by using drinking waterwithout the need for medication.
Of note, 40% reported receiving an additional 3 months of UTI vaccine doses. 1 or 2 years after the first injection. However, given the low number of side effects observed, it is not a bad option.
Why is a vaccine against urinary tract infections so necessary?
Typically, UTIs should be treated with antibiotics. They are so frequent that they have become one of the reasons for the development bacterial resistance. Therefore, they should be avoided as much as possible. In many cases with recurrent infections antibiotic prophylaxis before engaging in behavior that increases the likelihood of suffering from them, such as sexual relations. This suggests overuse of the drug, which may have negative consequences.
The UTI vaccine solves all these problems. And even if it doesn’t completely prevent the disease, in many cases it helps cure it without the need for treatment.
It should also be borne in mind that although this is a mild disease, in some cases it can become complicated, especially if antibiotics do not help. The infection may, for example, go to the kidneys. There are many reasons why this UTI vaccine may be a great option. We hope that this latest study will eventually provide sufficient assurance for its application in more countries.
Source: Hiper Textual
