| published 20-10-2007
|
Views : 736 |
Times marked as favorite : 59 |
 This week's Lancet reported the success of a phase I/IIb trial of a malaria vaccine, when tested in 214 young infants in a highly endemic area. The vaccine was given at 10, 14, and 18 weeks of age. The control group received hepatitis B vaccine rather than the experimental malaria vaccine.
The vaccine was found to be safe (no difference in adverse effects) and immunogenic, with the immunized infants developing high anti-malaria (anti-circumsporozoite) antibodies. There were 22 cases of documented malaria in the immunized group and 46 in the control group, a statistically (and clinically!) significant result.
A phase III trial is planned to start in about a year, involving 16,000 subjects in 10 centers in 7 countries. A commercial vaccine might be available as early as 2011.
This is the best news I have heard in a long time! If the vaccine performs as well in the phase III trials as in the current one, and if it can be commercially produced at a reasonable cost, it could be a major boost for the health and survival of African children, with an impact on health care systems and economics as well.
Safety of the RTS,S/AS02D candidate malaria vaccine in infants living in a highly endemic area of Mozambique: a double blind randomised controlled phase I/IIb trial. Lancet Early Online Publication, 17 October 2007, DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61542-6
Glaxo Testing New Vaccine for Malaria. Business Day
(Johannesburg) 18 October 2007. South Africa:. Posted at allafrica.com/stories/200710180361.html
|
|
|
Readers' Comments  |
|
Average user rating
 (0 vote)
|
|
Add your comment
|
