Recent news
November 2011
TIME magazine names malaria vaccine trial results a Top Breakthrough of 2011
Decembner 12, 2011 -- TIME Magazine recognized the results from a malaria vaccine trial—conducted by GHTC member PATH through its Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to PATH—as one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2011. This large-scale Phase 3 trial of the RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate showed that the vaccine candidate reduced the risk of children aged 5 to 17 months experiencing clinical malaria and severe malaria over one year of follow-up by 56% and 47%, respectively, in sub-Saharan Africa.
TIME called this “a remarkable achievement, considering there has never been a vaccine against a human parasite before, or against malaria, which infects millions of children each year.”
The RTS,S vaccine candidate is still under evaluation, and researchers continue to follow both the older age group and a group of 6- to 12 week-old infants. Results from this research among the younger age group are expected at the end of 2012; the study is ongoing through the end of 2013. The infant age group is the target demographic for the vaccine since they are also the target for routine public health vaccination programs. Information on the longer-term protective effects of the vaccine and other data should be available by the end of 2014. Together, the results of the Phase 3 trials will provide evidence for national and international public health organizations, including the World Health Organization, to evaluate the vaccine candidate’s full potential for use
While a number of public health tools have helped reduce the number of cases of malaria worldwide, an effective vaccine would help equip the global community to better fight this disease.
To see the article in TIME magazine go here.
To read more about the results from the RTS,S trial go here.
