Researchers from Oxford University along with theirpartners have developed a malaria vaccine that demonstrated high-level efficacyof 75%. On April 23, the researcher reported the findings from a Phase IIbtrial of the malaria vaccine candidate, R21/Matrix-M.
The University of Oxford has noted that they are thefirst to meet the World Health Organization’s Malaria Vaccine TechnologyRoadmap goal of Vaccine with an efficacy of 75%. The research involved 450children aged 5 to 17 months, covering 24 villages and a population of around65,000 people.
The director of the Jenner Institute and Lakshmi Mittaland Family Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, Adrian Hill said,“These new results support our high expectations for the potential of thisvaccine, which we believe in the first to reach the WHO’s goal of a vaccine formalaria with at least 75% efficacy.”
The mosquito-borne disease kills an estimated 400,000people globally each year. With the development of this highly effectivevaccine, fresh hopes are raised that the disease can one day be eradicated.
In the research trials, more than 100 vaccine candidateshave entered over recent decades. Till now, none has shown the 75% efficacytargeted by the WHO. However, another vaccine has shown efficiency in reducingmalaria in children. Vaccine named RTS, S, or Mosquirix, developed by U.K drugcompany GlaxoSmithKline GSK,+0.16% has reduced malaria infections in childrenwho receive four separate doses by 39%.
Halidou Tinto who is a Professor in Parasitology,Regional Director of IRSS in Nanoro, and the trial Principal Investigator saidthat ‘the researchers in collaboration with Serum Institute of India PrivateLtd. and Novavax Inc. have started the recruitment for Phase III to accesslarge scale safety and efficacy in 4800 children of age group 5 to 36 months inSouth African countries.’
He further said, “These are very exciting results showingunprecedented efficacy levels from a vaccine that has been well-tolerated inour trial programme. We look forward to the upcoming phase III trialdemonstrate large-scale safety and efficacy data for the vaccine that is greatlyneeded in this region.”