The creation of vaccines and drugs for malaria entails a multi-faceted process that covers molecular biology, immunology, and preclinical studies. By focusing on innovative approaches and rigorous scientific methods, our company is well-positioned to provide specialized solutions for the development of malaria vaccines and therapeutics.
Overview of Malaria
Malaria is a serious, and sometimes fatal, disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Out of the five species within the Plasmodium genus known to infect humans, Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the most severe cases of the disease and most malaria deaths. In the year 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported around 241 million cases of malaria which consequently resulted in 627,000 deaths, most of which were in sub-Saharan Africa. The symptoms for malaria commence 10 to 15 days after an infected mosquito bites a person and include chills, sweats, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and fever.
Fig.1 Interactions between Plasmodium parasites and the human endothelium. (Milner D. A., 2018)
Vaccine Development for Malaria
The pursuit to create a malaria vaccine has proven arduous mainly because of the unique life cycle of the parasite and its ability to turn the human immune system into its ally. Nevertheless, considerable progress has been achieved in recent years with the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine (Mosquirix) being the first to get a positive scientific advisory opinion of the European Medicines Agency in 2015.
Table 1. Current malaria vaccines in clinical trials. (Frimpong A., et al., 2018)
| Vaccine candidate |
Clinical trial registration number |
Clinical trial stage |
| PRE-ERYTHROCYTIC |
| RTS,S/AS01 |
NCT01345240 |
Phase 3 |
| R21/AS01B |
NCT02600975 |
Phase 1 |
| R21/ME-TRAP |
NCT02905019 |
Phase 2 |
| ChAd63/MVA ME-TRAP |
NCT01635647 |
Phase 2 |
| R21/Matrix-M1 |
NCT02572388/NCT02925403 |
Phase 1/2 |
| PfSPZ Vaccine |
NCT03510481 |
Phase 1 |
| PfSPZ-CVac (PfSPZ Challenge + chloroquine or + chloroquine/pyrimethamine |
NCT03083847 |
Phase 1 |
| GAP 3KO (52-/36-/sap1-) |
NCT02313376 |
Phase 1 |
| BLOOD-STAGE |
| pfAMA1-DiCo |
NCT02014727 |
Phase 1 |
| P27A |
NCT01949909 |
Phase 2 |
| PAMVAC |
NCT02647489 |
Phase 1 |
| PRIMVAC |
NCT02658253 |
Phase 1 |
| SEXUAL-STAGE |
| ChAd63 Pfs25-IMX313/MVA Pfs25-IMX313 |
NCT02532049 |
Phase 1 |
| Pfs25-EPA/Alhydrogel |
NCT01867463, 51 |
Phase 1 |
| Pfs230D1M-EPA/Alhydrogel and/or Pfs25-EPA/Alhydroge |
NCT02334462 |
Phase 1 |
| Pfs25M-EPA/AS01 and/or Pfs230D1M-EPA/ASOI |
NCT02942277 |
Phase 1 |
| Pfs25 VLP-FhCMB |
NCT02013687 |
Phase 1 |
| Pfs25-Pfs25 |
NCT00977899 |
Phase 1 |
| Pfs25 & Pvs/Monatide ISA 51 |
NCT00295581 |
Phase 1 |
Therapeutics Development for Malaria
The rise in resistance exhibited by Plasmodium parasites towards existing treatments has raised a need for innovative drugs and therapies. It is especially true for chloroquine and artemisinin-based combination therapies. To combat such mechanisms of resistance, new drugs are being developed to target distinct phases in the life cycle of the parasite.
This combination therapy is in the second phase of clinical trials and is said to be one of the modern types of ozonides with a distinct method of action.
KAF156 is an imidazolopiperazine whose structure suggest it to be a compound of novel class with multi stage activity against falciparum malaria.
It is an 8-aminoquinoline designed to target the dormant phases of Plasmodium vivax malaria in the liver in order to prevent associated relapses.
Our Services
Our company provides a complete range of services to speed up the development of malaria vaccines and therapeutics. With modern equipment along with knowledge of the malaria parasite, we assist our customers from the initial phases of research right up until preclinical development.
Disease Models
- P. berghei (P. yoelii, P. chabaudi, or P. vinckei) Infection Rodent Models
- P. falciparum Infection Humanized Mouse Models
- P. Knowlesi (P. coatneyi) Infection Non-human Primate Models
Preclinical Research
- Pharmacodynamics Study Services
- Pharmacokinetics Study Services
- Drug Safety Evaluation Services
- Customized Research Services
By combining these services with our expertise in malaria research, we are well-positioned to contribute to the global effort to develop effective vaccines and therapies against this devastating disease. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Milner, Danny A. "Malaria pathogenesis." Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine 8.1 (2018): a025569.
- Frimpong, Augustina, et al. "Novel strategies for malaria vaccine design." Frontiers in immunology 9 (2018): 2769.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
