A newly approved formula — and its rival — hold promise for those battling the deadly disease.
over 400,000 people a year around the world, most of them children. That toll, though grim, is a little under half what it was in 2000, thanks to campaigns to distribute mosquito nets, conduct indoor pesticide spraying and administer preventive medications. Since 2015, however, factors ranging from funding shortfalls to increased drug and insecticide resistance have caused the numbers of deaths and overall cases — more than 200 million annually — to plateau.
Those findings came from a clinical trial involving 450 children in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, where malaria strikes more than one-third of the population every year. Participants ranged in age from five months to 17 months. Three doses were given at four-week intervals, with a booster shot one year later. Over that period, just 38 of the 146 kids in the high-dose group developed malaria, versus 105 of the 147 in the control group.
Bigger studies could show less impressive protection or unexpected safety issues. But if the results hold up, R21/MM could be a powerful weapon in controlling — and eventually eliminating — one of humanity’s greatest microbial foes.Since the first test of a malaria vaccine in the 1940s, researchers have grown accustomed to disappointment:, the parasite that causes the most common form of the disease, has over 5,000 genes and a daunting array of evasive tactics.
Another potential advantage: Because R21/MM requires lower dosages than Mosquirix, and its adjuvant is simpler to manufacture, it can be produced more efficiently and at lower cost. Oxford is partnering with Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, which has pledged to churn out at least 200 million doses annually.
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