WHO names 17 pathogens as priorities for new vaccine development

A new study published Tuesday by the World Health Organization ranks 17 pathogens that frequently cause illness in communities as high priorities for development of new vaccines.

WHO asked international and regional experts to identify the factors that were most important to them when deciding which vaccines to introduce and use. These preferences were analyzed, combined with regional data for each pathogen, to produce the top 10 priority pathogens for each WHO region. The regional lists were then merged into a global list, resulting in 17 priority endemic pathogens for the development and use of new vaccines.

Vaccines against these pathogens are in various stages of development. Pathogens that require vaccine research include: Group A Streptococcus, Hepatitis C virus, HIV type 1, Klebsiella pneumoniae; Pathogens that require further vaccine development include: Cytomegalovirus, Influenza virus, Leishmania spp., Non-typhoidal Salmonella, Norovirus, Plasmodium falciparum, Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus; Pathogens for which vaccines are close to regulatory approval, policy recommendation, or introduction include: Dengue virus, Group B Streptococcus, Extraenteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Respiratory syncytial virus.

Top priority

The WHO study is the first global effort to prioritize endemic pathogens based on criteria such as regional disease burden, risk of antimicrobial resistance and socioeconomic impact.

The study reaffirms long-standing priorities for vaccine development, including HIV, malaria and tuberculosis – three diseases that claim nearly 2.5 million lives each year.

The study also identified pathogens such as Group A Streptococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae as top disease control priorities in all regions, highlighting the urgency of developing new vaccines for pathogens that are becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobial drugs.

The findings of this new report on endemic pathogens are part of WHO’s work to identify and support research priorities and needs for immunization programmes in low- and middle-income countries, to inform the global vaccine development agenda, and to strategically advance the development and use of priority vaccines, particularly against pathogens that cause the greatest public health burden and socioeconomic impact.