AdFalciVax Vaccine Latest News
Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has granted non-exclusive rights for its multi-stage malaria vaccine, AdFalciVax, to five pharmaceutical companies.
About AdFalciVax Vaccine
- It is India’s first indigenous multi-stage malaria recombinant vaccine developed by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, under the ICMR.
Key Feature of the Vaccine
- The vaccine is designed to prevent Plasmodium falciparum infection in individuals and reduce community transmission.
- Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite, difficult to control and responsible for widespread devastation
- AdFalciVax targets the parasite before it enters the bloodstream, stopping the infection at the transmission stage
- The vaccine uses Lactococcus lactis, a genetically engineered food-grade bacterial host, as its core technology
- It delivers a dual-antigen approach combining: PfCSP (Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein) to prevent infection and Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 fusion proteins to block transmission from humans to mosquitoes
- This dual-antigen approach makes AdFalciVax a multi-functional vaccine, aimed at both protecting individuals and halting the spread of malaria.
- Pre-clinical validation was carried out in collaboration with ICMR–National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR)and National Institute of Immunology (NII), Delhi, under the Department of Biotechnology.
Source: BS
AdFalciVax Vaccine FAQs
Q1: What is the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)?
Ans: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. It is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. Its vision is to translate their research into action for improving the health of the population.
Q2: What is the latest approved vaccine for malaria?
Ans: As of October 2023, both the RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M vaccines are recommended by WHO to prevent malaria in children
