The final trials of the world’s first and most promising vaccine against malaria were supposed to be a resounding success. However, detailed analysis of the results has indicated the drug might not be effective in the long term in the fight against malaria.
Despite GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) anti-malaria vaccine touted as the most effective one till date, the phase III trials have significantly dented the hopes of the company to launch the product this year. The third and commonly assumed to be final trials of the vaccine candidate RTS,S/AS01 did show the vaccine could prevent a substantial number of cases of clinical malaria, especially in areas of high transmission, but it would lose the battle against malaria merely four years later.
The early results of the vaccine showed immense promise. Children who received three doses of the vaccine were half as likely to contract malaria infection in the year after vaccination. In children who received a booster fourth dose of the vaccine, the number of clinical episodes of malaria at four years was reduced by just 36%. And without a booster dose, significant efficacy against severe malaria was not shown, reported The Lancet.
In simpler words, the level of protection the vaccine accorded these children would drop substantially after just four years from the date of inoculation. Despite the apparent setback, considering the fact that almost 200 million cases of malaria infection were reported in 2013 alone, the seemingly crumbling efficacy level could still translate into millions of prevented malaria cases in children, stated Brian Greenwood, corresponding author and professor of clinical tropical medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,
“Despite the falling efficacy over time, there is still a clear benefit from RTS,S/AS01.”
Even With Seemingly Poor Long Term Protection, The Vaccine Could Save Millions Of Lives
Though the malaria vaccine’s efficacy drops significantly, it might still end up on the production floor primarily because the sheer magnitude of the looming global epidemic and the inability of the leading pharmaceuticals to develop a viable medicine. Malaria has been one of the most elusive diseases to treat primarily because it is caused by a parasite, making development of a powerful and dependable vaccine a tough challenge.
Apart from GSK, PATH, the company that secured $156 million in funding from the Gates Foundation in November, is the only company that seems to be actively engaged in making a vaccine for those affected or at-risk from malaria.
[Image Credit | The Telegraph, Gizmag]
World’s First Malaria Vaccine Finally Ready To Hit The Markets? Not Quite, Reveal Trials, But It’s Very Promising is an article from: The Inquisitr News
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