We’re tackling the problem of Strep A, one of the top five infectious causes of death and disability worldwide.
Strep A bacteria (also known as group A Streptococcus, or Streptococcus pyogenes) can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to serious and deadly diseases. Each year it results in around half a million deaths worldwide, mostly in children and young adults.
While pharyngitis and impetigo (skin sores) are responsible for the majority of Strep A infections each year, invasive infections such as cellulitis, flesh-eating disease and sepsis are also of grave concern. Critically, the immune response to Strep A infection can lead to devastating auto immune diseases, such as acute rheumatic fever (ARF), rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and severe kidney diseases. Globally, ARF and RHD cause the greatest number of deaths due to Strep A infections. This is one of the reasons why Strep A infection is a priority research area for governments and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Alarmingly, Australia has one of the highest rates of RHD in the world, with Indigenous Australians most affected. The disproportionately high burden of diseases in Indigenous Australians sparked the Australian Government to prioritise and support the development of a Strep A vaccine.
ASAVI is determined to deliver the solution.
Vaccines offer a practical solution for disease control and would be an important primary prevention strategy for diseases caused by Strep A.
Our goal is to prevent Strep A infections and immune-mediated complications using a safe and effective Strep A vaccine – and we have a plan to fast-track a lead vaccine candidate into human trials.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are referred to as Indigenous Australians throughout this website.
