The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative announces collaboration to develop a new malaria vaccine approach targeted at Plasmodium vivax
MVI collaborates with WRAIR, USAMMDA, and GSK Bio in the preliminary evaluation of the safety and efficacy of a potential vaccine candidate
Contacts: Preeti Singh, psingh@burnesscommunications.com
+1 301.280.5722
August 18, 2010—In a move to accelerate the development of a malaria vaccine candidate against the second most serious malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium vivax, the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) announces a collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), the US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA), and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Bio). The partners are working to conduct a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of a vaccine approach, using the protein VMP001 developed by researchers at WRAIR, formulated with the Adjuvant System AS01 developed by GSK Bio and used in the candidate RTS,S P. falciparum vaccine, now in late-stage Phase 3 clinical testing in infants in a number of African countries. VMP001 is a modified, full-length circumsporozoite protein from the P. vivax parasite. The early-stage trial will consist of a preliminary evaluation of the safety and efficacy of this potential vaccine candidate.
Although more data are needed to better understand the full picture of the public health impact of P. vivax, approximately 40 percent of the world's population lives at risk of malaria caused by this Plasmodium species, which is endemic to tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, North and South America, the Middle East, North Africa, and the South Pacific. While not as deadly as the malaria caused by P. falciparum, P. vivax affects many more people worldwide and can have major detrimental effects on a person's health and economic well-being.
While there has been encouraging progress in P. falciparum malaria vaccines—GSK Bio’s malaria vaccine candidate (RTS,S/AS01) is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials—much less progress has been made in development of vaccines against P. vivax. Because of the wide geographic reach of P. vivax and its co-existence with P. falciparum in many regions of the world, it is critical to develop vaccine strategies—used with other interventions such as bed nets and spraying—that target P. vivax.
"GSK Bio is proud to extend its commitment to the fight against malaria by working with our long-standing partners MVI and WRAIR in the development of a P. vivax vaccine," said Joe Cohen, Vice President and Advisor of the Malaria Program at GSK Bio and co-inventor of the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate. "RTS,S, the world's most advanced malaria vaccine candidate, is a testament to what can be accomplished through extensive public-private sector collaboration."
"WRAIR is working closely with both MVI and GSK Bio," said Colonel Christian Ockenhouse, Director of the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program at WRAIR, the site where this first clinical trial will be conducted. "We are optimistic that this first clinical trial combining the VMP001 antigen invented by WRAIR scientists with GSK Bio’s AS01 adjuvant will help progress towards a protective vaccine against P. vivax malaria. Such an accomplishment will also contribute to the control and elimination of malaria worldwide in children and adults at risk for the disease as well as for our deployed military personnel."
"This is the first P. vivax vaccine approach that MVI has funded to advance to testing in clinical trials," stated Dr. Christian Loucq, Director of MVI. "Until now, MVI’s vaccine development efforts have targeted P. falciparum, as it is the most deadly Plasmodium species. However, because of a new push to eliminate, then eradicate malaria, we have also begun to focus on P. vivax, which is responsible for fewer deaths than P. falciparum but is much more prevalent throughout the world. We are very excited to embark on this trial. Unless we havevaccines against both P. falciparum and P. vivax in our anti-malaria toolkit, we will not ultimately eradicate malaria."
