A Lassa fever vaccine developed by Pac-Man Biologics—licensed from Australia’s University of Melbourne—has achieved complete protection in preclinical studies involving mice and non‐human primates, Nigerian virologist Dr. Simeon Agwale announced in Abuja.
Agwale, CEO of Innovative Biotech, said the vaccine demonstrated 100% survival against Nigeria’s native Lassa strain—known to differ from the Josiah strain widely studied elsewhere.
In murine trials, all five unvaccinated mice succumbed by day 22, while all vaccinated counterparts survived. Likewise, primates that received the vaccine showed full protection, whereas controls did not.
“This is the only vaccine to date proven effective against the Nigerian Lassa virus,” Agwale said. The company holds exclusive African rights and pays royalties to Melbourne.
Clinical‐grade doses are currently being manufactured in the U.S. under a technology‐transfer arrangement, pending completion of Nigeria’s own vaccine facility.
The success bolsters hopes for curbing Lassa fever—a seasonal hemorrhagic illness claiming hundreds of lives annually in West Africa.
Agwale criticised Nigeria’s outdated postgraduate system, calling for specialized training in vaccinology and drug development. “Masters programmes must be focused—vaccinology graduates should master vaccine R\&D,” he urged.
He also stressed the need for locally funded research centers to retain scientific talent, warning that without targeted curricula and innovation-driven ecosystems, Nigeria will remain dependent on foreign expertise even as it confronts its own health emergencies.
