“Tranquil” for 9 years: soon an oral vaccine to fight against urinary infections ?

Un vaccin oral contre les infections urinaires

Un nouveau vaccin oral pourrait être une alternative aux antibiotiques contre les infections urinaires récidivantes. Une découverte présentée au congrès de l'Association européenne d'urologie de Paris.

MV140. Behind this name hides a new vaccine against recurrent urinary tract infections developed by the Spanish pharmaceutical company Immunotek. The principle: two sprays of a pineapple flavored suspension under the tongue every day for three months.

So much for the starting point. But does it really work ? To find out, researchers at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in the United Kingdom administered the said vaccine to 89 people suffering from ;rsquo;repeated urinary infections and followed them for several years.

9 years of tranquility

As Dr. Bob Yang, a urologist who co-led the research, explains, "before receiving the vaccine, all of our participants suffered from severe pain. recurrent urinary tract infections, and for many women these can be difficult to treat".

But after administration, the result is convincing: 54% of participants remained free of urinary infection for nine years, without any notable side effects. has been reported. And for those who developed cystitis again, "the simple act of drinking lots of water was enough to treat it&quot ;, explain the authors.

"Although we must be pragmatic, this vaccine represents a potential breakthrough in the prevention of urinary tract infections and could offer a safe and effective alternative to conventional treatments. Many of our participants told us that the vaccine restored their quality of life", the scientists conclude. "This is a very easy vaccine to administer and could be delivered by general practitioners for a 3-month course.&amp ;quot;

Note: recurrent cystitis is defined in France as four or more urinary infections in 12 months.