NIH: New investigational malaria vaccine protects healthy adults for more than one year

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported on Monday that an experimental malaria vaccine protected a small number of healthy, malaria-naïve adults from infection for more than one year after immunization.

The results come from a Phase 1 trial described in the May 9 issue of Nature Medicine. The vaccine, known as the PfSPZ vaccine, was developed by Sanaria, Inc., with support from several Small Business Innovation Research awards from NIAID. Research was conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine and involved immunization and exposing willing healthy adults to the malaria-causing parasite P. falciparum in a controlled setting.

The vaccine is composed of live, but weakened, P. falciparum sporozoites — an early developmental form of the parasite. The clinical trial involved 101 healthy adults aged 18-45 years who had never had malaria. Of the volunteers, 59 received the PfSPZ vaccine while 32 served as controls.

“Malaria remains one of the most devastating diseases in the world, especially among young children in Africa,” NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci said. “A malaria vaccine that provides long-term protection is urgently needed to reduce mortality and eliminate transmission. This study is an encouraging step forward in our goal to control and ultimately eradicate malaria.”