New nasal vaccine could help curb spread of whooping cough, study suggests

A new nasal vaccine has shown potential to block transmission of whooping cough by preventing the bacteria from colonising the nose and throat, according to trial results published in The Lancet Microbe.

BPZE1, which is delivered as a nasal spray, was tested in a human challenge study supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The CHAMPION-1 trial – delivered in partnership between University Hospital Southampton, the University of Southampton and the University of Oxford, and sponsored by ILiAD Biotechnologies – involved 53 adults who were given either BPZE1 or a placebo.

Two to four months later, participants were deliberately exposed to Bordetella pertussis (the causative agent of whooping cough) under controlled conditions.

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Those who received the vaccine were significantly less likely to show signs of bacterial colonisation.

It also triggered strong immune responses in both the nose and blood, suggesting it could offer long-lasting protection. No serious side effects were reported.

Existing vaccines help prevent symptoms of pertussis (whooping cough) but do not stop people from carrying and spreading the infection.

Professor Robert Read, who led the study at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, said: 'This is the first time a whooping cough vaccine has been shown to prevent the bacteria from colonising the nose and throat in humans.

‘That could represent a big step forward in stopping the spread of the disease.'

Dr Stephanie Noviello, chief medical officer at ILiAD Biotechnologies, said the results represent a 'major milestone' in global efforts to control whooping cough. The company plans to begin Phase 3 trials in 2026.

The UK Health Security Agency reported 14,879 laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis in England in 2024 – the highest figure since enhanced surveillance began in 1994.

Eleven infant deaths and a further 11 deaths in older individuals were reported.

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Dr Diane Gbesemete, principal investigator at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, said: 'Despite high vaccination rates, we're still seeing outbreaks of whooping cough. This study shows that BPZE1 has the potential to offer better protection and help reduce transmission.'

Although ILiAD currently does not have clinical trial data supporting use in pregnancy, the company said it intends to pursue further research in this area.

The UK has offered pertussis vaccination to pregnant women since 2012. Most infant deaths reported since then have been in babies whose mothers were not vaccinated during pregnancy.

The latest data suggest the prenatal vaccine offers 91% protection against infant death.

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Public health minister Ashley Dalton said: 'This government-supported trial marks a major breakthrough in our fight against whooping cough.

‘Unlike the existing vaccine for pregnant women, which protects babies in the womb and prevents nine out of 10 infant deaths, this new nasal spray vaccine works in a completely different way – by stopping the bacteria from living in the nose and throat.

‘That means it could cut transmission and offer longer-lasting protection for everyone, not just newborns,’ she added.