A Decade of the Global STI Vaccine Roadmap: Progress, Gaps and Challenges
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An article on the global STI vaccine roadmap says that several prophylactic and therapeutic HSV-2 vaccine candidates advanced through the clinical pipeline, but most were discontinued for scientific or strategic reasons. It reports that Moderna halted mRNA-1608 in November 2025 while BNT163 continues in active clinical evaluation.
The authors state that earlier HSV candidates failed to demonstrate durable clinical efficacy. They report that Moderna halted its mRNA-1608 programme in November 2025 due to strategic reprioritization. They report that BioNTech’s trivalent mRNA prophylactic candidate, BNT163, continues in active clinical evaluation.
The authors state that pre-existing HSV-1 infection has been associated with reduced efficacy against HSV-2 for at least one candidate, without naming it in the text provided. The authors state that mathematical modelling suggests both prophylactic and therapeutic HSV-2 vaccines could have important population-level impacts. The authors note that WHO has developed preferred product characteristics documents for both gonorrhoea and HSV vaccines.
The authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest.
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- The authors state that several prophylactic and therapeutic HSV-2 vaccine candidates advanced through the clinical pipeline, but most were discontinued for scientific or strategic reasons.
but most were discontinued for scientific or strategic reasons
- The authors report that Moderna halted its mRNA-1608 programme in November 2025 due to strategic reprioritization.
programme in November 2025 due to strategic reprioritization
- The authors report that BioNTech's trivalent mRNA prophylactic HSV vaccine candidate, BNT163, continues in active clinical evaluation.
trivalent mRNA prophylactic HSV vaccine candidate (BNT163) continues in active clinical evaluation
- The authors state that earlier HSV candidates failed to demonstrate durable clinical efficacy.
While earlier HSV candidates failed to demonstrate durable clinical efficacy
- The authors state that pre-existing HSV-1 infection has been associated with reduced efficacy against HSV-2 for at least one candidate.
has been associated with reduced efficacy against
- The authors state that mathematical modelling suggests both prophylactic and therapeutic HSV-2 vaccines could have important population-level impacts.
Mathematical modelling suggests that both prophylactic and therapeutic
- WHO has developed preferred product characteristics documents for both gonorrhoea and HSV vaccines.
WHO has developed preferred product characteristics (PPCs) documents for both gonorrhoea and HSV vaccines
- The global STI vaccine roadmap was developed by WHO, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and international partners.
The global STI vaccine roadmap was developed by WHO, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and international partners
- The authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest.
The authors do not declare any relevant conflicts of interest.