Malaria vaccines: no longer a 10-year wait?
For those following malaria vaccines, these are interesting times indeed. After 40 years of false dawns, in this 'decade of vaccines' there is now cautious optimism that a usable malaria vaccine might be in place by 2014. Several developments make this optimism well founded.
On the research front, the pre-erythrocytic vaccine RTS,S is in unprecedented phase III clinical trials at 11 sites across Africa. Submission for regulatory approval by as soon as 2012 has been mooted. The protection with RTS,S to date - significant but much less than the 80% clinical efficacy target - suggests a use in malaria control integrated with treatment, bednets and spraying.
For RTS,S or any other vaccine to make it to deployment, at least three obstacles must be overcome. First, history shows that sustained investment in R&D, from pharma as well as governments, is essential. Gates' January 2010 pledge of US$10 billion for vaccine development and delivery follows long-term support for the Malaria Vaccine Initiative which has led to GlaxoSmithKline's RTS,S. Within Europe, EU donors are funding a European Malaria Vaccine Initiative which aims to accelerate vaccine development and clinical trials. Global funding for vaccine R&D has never been so rich, and a broad portfolio of vaccines in development is the prize.
Second, manufacturing capacity to make high quality vaccines to satisfy demand is required. Third, access to any vaccine must be secured so that those most as risk - Africa's rural poor - can benefit. Vaccine R&D costs so dwarf the capacity of the primary market to pay that innovative public-private partnerships, as have been so successful for medicines for malaria, are required.
Collaboration and communication are central to much of this. We are always interested to hear from researchers, funders or consortia wishing to coordinate their efforts or promote their work in this area.
Latest posts in Science
May 24, 2010
Posted by Tim in Science
