BioNTech announced on Monday that it is developing a messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccine to prevent malaria. The company is drawing on not only the technology but also the proceeds, from the COVID-19 vaccine it developed in partnership with Pfizer to contribute to the development of the vaccine.
The clinical trial for this malaria vaccine, which is the first to use mRNA technology, is set to start by the end of 2022.
Once a fantasy, now reality: “Malaria has been with us for millennia. Eradicating it has been a long-held but unattainable dream. But new technologies like mRNA are making what was once a fantasy, a possibility,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the launch of the event.
Globally, the progress in eliminating malaria has stalled — there are more than 200 million cases and 400,000 deaths every year, most of which are children and pregnant women in Africa, Tedros said.
New partnership to pilot radical cure treatments for P. vivax malaria
The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption and scale-up of radical cure treatments for Plasmodium vivax malaria, which poses a risk to one-third of the world’s population.
In a bid to localize production, the company will also look for vaccine production sites in Africa. Along with the kENUP Foundation, BioNtech will work with WHO, the European Commission, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on the expansion of the technology.
Why it matters: The malaria burden surges in the context of a pandemic. For example, in Sierra Leone, due to a reduction in treatment coverage, more people died from malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis than Ebola when the epidemic swept West Africa.
“We can’t rely on long-lasting herd immunity against malaria,” said Philip Welkhoff, director of the malaria program at the Gates Foundation, which has also invested in mRNA technology to pursue vaccines for HIV and TB.
“As soon as the bednets start wearing out, as soon as you’re not getting the access to the diagnostics and drugs with access to health care breaking down, the malaria burden surges really fast.”
This new malaria mRNA vaccine could offer more effective protection, for a longer duration, and for more of the population, than RTS,S and R21 while also being more robust against future interruptions, Welkhoff said.
This coverage, presented by the Bay Area Global Health Alliance, explores the intersection between technology, innovation, and health. How are tech, innovation, and cross-sector partnerships being leveraged to accelerate equitable access to health care?
About the author
Catherine Cheneycatherinecheney
Catherine Cheney is the Senior Editor for Special Coverage at Devex. She leads the editorial vision of Devex’s news events and editorial coverage of key moments on the global development calendar. Catherine joined Devex as a reporter, focusing on technology and innovation in making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, and worked as a web producer for POLITICO, a reporter for World Politics Review, and special projects editor at NationSwell. She has reported domestically and internationally for outlets including The Atlantic and the Washington Post. Catherine also works for the Solutions Journalism Network, a non profit organization that supports journalists and news organizations to report on responses to problems.
