Short answer: yes, and it’s going to be a game-changer.

Believe it or not, there are several vaccines in development for urinary tract infections or UTIs. But first, a few caveats. This is only for recurrent UTIs, and by definition, that means three or more in a year or two in six months. Many people, most commonly women, can have up to six per year. This can be annoying, expensive, take away from family and jobs, etc. Not to mention using a lot of antibiotics and potentially developing resistance. In recent years antibiotic-saving strategies have been put in place to minimize the use of antibiotics, such as probiotics, cranberry, estrogen for atrophic vaginitis, etc.

There are several uncontrolled studies ongoing in Europe and North America.

They tested the vaccine, called MV140, to prevent recurrent UTIs. In five studies treating over 1400 women, those with the vaccine had much higher UTI-free rates ranging from 35 to 90% than 500 women treated with antibiotics, who had 0 to 9% UTI-free rates. Other studies showed up to 54% UTI free at three months and six months, and some of them even extended out to nearly two years. It does seem that immunity tends to wane over time, and at this time, it’s not clear whether or not re-vaccination will be needed.

No Needles Needed

UTI vaccines are not what you might think. It does not involve any needles or shots. It’s simple. Just two sprays under the tongue once a day for three months. This is called immunizing via the mucosal surface. The mucosal immune response affects bladder immunity, which is significant even though the vaccine is applied in the mouth. The mucosal immune system includes: oral and respiratory mucosa, G.I. mucosa, and urogenital mucosa. Mucosa is the lining surface of these structures.

The vaccine is self-administered at home daily for three months. So far, there have been very few minor side effects. Think of it as a slow uploading vaccine, which is why there are minimal side effects. It was also tested over a six- month application period, but significantly improved benefit was not found. Components of the vaccine include four of the most common bacteria that cause UTIs. The bacteria are inactivated, so you’re not squirting infectious material into your mouth, thankfully.

So when will this be available?

Currently, there are 40,000 people enrolled in phase 3 studies in Europe; there are also some studies in Canada and the US. The FDA typically lags behind their European counterparts in the approval process. They will be looking at the data, hopefully in the near future. They’ll likely decide that further studies are needed to determine efficacy (effectiveness) and safety.

The trade names of the vaccines in Europe are Urommune, uro-Vaxom, and SolcoUrovac. Please keep your eyes open for their introduction in North America. Until then, see your doctor for routine practices regarding recurrent UTIs.

To your good health,

Kevin W. McCurry, MD