The German pharmaceutical company Biontech has started research into a malaria vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 619,000 people worldwide died from malaria last year. Most illnesses and deaths are recorded on the African continent.
“The start of this study is an important milestone on our way to contribute to the fight against diseases with a high medical need,” said Biontech Medical Director and co-founder Özlem Türeci. The goal is to develop an mRNA-based vaccine that could help prevent malaria and reduce mortality. According to the WHO, 619,000 people worldwide died from malaria in 2021, slightly less than the year before. About 95 percent of the illnesses and deaths were recorded in Africa.
The current vaccine is only 30 percent effective
In detail, the company plans to study the vaccine candidate at three different dose levels. The Phase 1 trial is expected to enroll approximately 60 healthy participants with no previous or current malaria infection in the United States. Scientists around the world have been working on a vaccine against malaria for decades. So far there is only one vaccine, Mosquirix from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This is the result of years of clinical studies, but still only achieves an efficiency of 30 percent.
If approved, the new malaria vaccine could likely be produced from 2024. Biontech is currently building an mRNA vaccine production plant in Rwanda. From 2024, the Covid-19 vaccine and possibly a vaccine against tuberculosis could also be produced there.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
