{"id":137318,"date":"2015-07-25T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2015-07-25T06:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=137318"},"modified":"2015-07-24T16:44:30","modified_gmt":"2015-07-24T16:44:30","slug":"malaria-vaccine-gets-green-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=137318","title":{"rendered":"Malaria vaccine gets ‘green light’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The world’s first malaria vaccine has cleared one of the final hurdles prior to being approved for use in Africa.<\/p>\n

The European Medicines Agency gave a positive scientific opinion after assessing its safety and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

It represents a ‘green light’ for the Mosquirix jab, developed by GlaxoSmithKline.<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization will consider later this year whether to recommend it for children, among whom trials have yielded mixed results.<\/p>\n

Malaria kills around 584,000 people a year worldwide, most of them children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n

‘Dream come true’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mosquirix, otherwise known as the RTS,S vaccine, is the first against a parasitic infection in humans.<\/p>\n

Dr Ripley Ballou, head of research at GSK vaccines, said: “This is a hugely significant moment. I’ve been working on this vaccine for 30 years and this is a dream come true.”<\/p>\n

The company has not revealed the price of the vaccine, but has pledged not to make a profit from it.<\/p>\n

\"World<\/figure>\n

It has been designed specifically to combat malaria infection in children in Africa and will not be licensed for travellers.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, final results of a clinical trial in seven African countries yielded mixed results.<\/p>\n

The best protection was among children aged five to 17 months who received three doses of the vaccine a month apart, plus a booster dose at 20 months.<\/p>\n

In this group, cases of severe malaria were cut by a third over four years.<\/p>\n

But the effectiveness of the vaccine waned over time, making the booster shot essential.<\/p>\n

Without a booster the vaccine did not cut the rate of severe malaria over the trial period.<\/p>\n

And disappointingly, the jab did not prove very effective in protecting young babies from severe malaria.<\/p>\n

This presents a dilemma for the WHO, which will decide in October whether the vaccine should be deployed, because it is not nearly as effective as scientists would have hoped.<\/p>\n

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The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is carried by the female anopheles mosquito<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Furthermore, it had been hoped the jab could be administered at six, 10 and 14 weeks, along with other childhood vaccines.<\/p>\n

But the results suggest the jabs need to be started later, which would involve a huge amount of organisation and extra cost as it is outside the childhood vaccine schedule.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the trial results show it is crucial that children receive all four doses of the jab in order to benefit.<\/p>\n

But even a partially effective malaria vaccine could have a role to play in countries with very high rates of disease.<\/p>\n

GSK began research on a malaria vaccine 30 years ago and the first trials in Africa began in 1998.<\/p>\n

In 2001 a partnership was established between GSK and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with the aim of accelerating development of malaria vaccines.<\/p>\n