GSK and Crucell to develop malaria vaccine
pharmafile | April 7, 2010 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Crucell, GSK, malaria
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals and Dutch vaccines company Crucell are to develop a ‘second generation’ malaria vaccine candidate.
Malaria causes 900,000 deaths each year, mostly children in tropical and sub-tropical areas, but there is currently no vaccine on the market.
GSK’s RTS,S, is in phase III and is the nearest to reaching the market, but could work well in conjunction with a Crucell vaccine product.
Studies have found patients’ immunity to the malaria parasite was enhanced when Crucell’s Adenovirus (AdVac) was used in conjunction with GSK’s RTS,S/AS.
“We are very excited about this collaboration with GSK, which brings new impulse to the potential of eradicating malaria as one of the top three killers in the world,” said Crucell chief executive Ronald Brus.
“I am confident a partnership of this kind will allow us to take a vital step towards our goal of bringing meaningful innovation to global health.”
Crucell will contribute its recombinant malaria vaccine candidate, Ad35-CS, based on AdVac and its PER.C6 manufacturing platform, on which all AdVac-based candidates are produced.
GSK will put forward RTS,S/AS. No details on the finances of the deal were disclosed.
In October 2003 Crucell agreed to evaluate Ad35-CS in pre-clinical studies with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and GSK.
It was tested as monotherapy and in combination with RTS,S/AS and the two showed significant enhancement of immunological response when used together.
The companies now want third party funding to advance the Ad35-CS and RTS,S/AS phase I/IIa clinical trial in the US and will partner with private or public bodies to develop a malaria vaccine.
Ad35-CS is already in a phase I study in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
AdVac supports the insertion of genetic material from the disease-causing virus or parasite into a vehicle called a vector, which then delivers it directly to the immune system.
The malaria parasite is the circumsporozoite stage of the Plasmodium falciparum.
Most vectors are based on an adenovirus, such as the virus that causes the common cold.
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