4 days ago
RMRC Bhubaneswar develops advanced malaria vaccine, ready for tech transfer
BHUBANESWAR: In a significant breakthrough, a team of researchers led by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, has developed a novel and advanced malaria vaccine that can prevent Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and community transmission.
The new recombinant, chimeric multi-stage vaccine code-named AdFalciVax has been designed to protect against the deadliest malaria parasite in humans. It is now ready for technology transfer to manufacturers for production, clinical trials and its commercialisation.
Currently, two malaria vaccines are available and cost in a range of `250 to `830 per dose. The efficacy rate is between 33 per cent and 67 per cent. Unlike existing WHO-recommended vaccines RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) and R21/Matrix-M, AdFalciVax offers dual-stage protection and is cost-effective.
Scientist-D at RMRC Dr Susheel Singh said the new vaccine can prevent human infection and interrupt transmission in the community. 'AdFalciVax uses a full-length PfCSP, a major protein found in Pf, for broader protection and includes a novel fusion of Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 proteins to produce strong antibodies that stop the transmission,' he said.
What makes AdFalciVax stand out among the existing vaccines is its exceptional pharmaceutical stability. The formulation remains potent for over nine months at room temperature, eliminating the need for costly cold chain logistics, which continue to be a major bottleneck in vaccine distribution across remote and resource-limited regions.
According to the researchers, the vaccine has been developed with the help of cutting-edge protein engineering using Lactococcus lactis, a safe bacterial host. The pre-clinical validation of the technology has been conducted by RMRC in collaboration with National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) and National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi.
RMRC director Dr Sanghamitra Pati said, 'The vaccine's efficacy was sustained for over four months post-boost, which translates to over a decade of protection in humans.'
Meanwhile, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi has invited expressions of interest from the eligible organisations, companies and manufacturers for transfer of technology and commercialisation.
