A new oral spray vaccine shows promise in preventing recurrent UTIs.

The vaccine, MV140, also known as Uramune in Australia, has shown promise in preventing recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) for up to nine years in over half of the participants in a recent study. 

The study followed 89 patients for a period of nine years after their initial three-month daily treatment of the oral spray-based vaccine, finding that 54 per cent of the participants did not experience any UTIs during this time, with no notable side effects reported. 

This marks a significant advancement in the battle against recurrent UTIs, offering a potential alternative to traditional antibiotic treatments.

Dr Bob Yang, a consultant urologist at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and co-leader of the research, has expressed optimism about the vaccine's efficacy. 

“Before having the vaccine, all our participants suffered from recurrent UTIs, and for many women, these can be difficult to treat,” he said. 

“Nine years after first receiving this new UTI vaccine, around half of the participants remained infection-free. Overall, this vaccine is safe in the long term and our participants reported having fewer UTIs that were less severe. Many of those who did get a UTI told us that simply drinking plenty of water was enough to treat it.”

Developed by Spanish pharmaceutical company Immunotek, MV140 contains four bacterial species in a water suspension with a pineapple flavouring, administered via two sprays under the tongue every day for three months. 

The vaccine has already been made available off-licence in 26 countries.

The long-term study's encouraging results have the potential to reduce the reliance on antibiotics for UTI prevention, which is crucial in the context of rising antibiotic-resistant UTI cases. 

The evidence was presented at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in Paris.