Sanaria’s malaria vaccine shows promise
pharmafile | August 9, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | PfSPZ, Vaccine, malaria, sanaria
Researchers in the US have announced promising results from a Phase I clinical trial of biotech firm Sanaria’s new malaria vaccine PfSPZ.
As reported recently in the journal Science, trial participants who received a maximum of five doses were protected from infection. However, of those that received four doses, only two-thirds avoided contracting the disease.
According to WHO, there were approximately 219 million cases of malaria in 2010 that resulted in an estimated 660,000 deaths, mostly among African children. The tropical disease can cause headaches and vomiting, and disrupt blood-flow to vital organs.
Lead researcher Dr Robert Seder of the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland said: “We were excited and thrilled by the result, but it is important that we repeat it, extend it and do it in larger numbers.”
The trial involved extracting large amounts of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum from irradiated mosquitoes. The weakened organisms were then injected directly into the bloodstream of volunteer participants. In previous research, the parasites were administered to participants’ muscle and skin tissue, with unsuccessful results.
Attempts to develop a completely effective malaria vaccine have so far proved unsuccessful. Trials of GSK’s Mosquirix displayed promising results in late 2012, but failed to produce the blockbuster drug it hoped for.
If PfSPZ proves to be effective in further trials it could develop significant opportunity for US biotech Sanaria, which specialises in malaria research.
Dr William Schaffner, head of the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt University’s medical school, told CNN: “This is not a vaccine that’s ready for travellers to the developing world anytime soon. However, from the point of view of science dealing with one of the big-three infectious causes of death around the world, it’s a notable advance.
He added: “And everybody will be holding their breath, watching to see whether this next trial works and how well it works.”
Hugh McCafferty
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