Context: The Union government has granted licence to five firms for manufacturing and commercialisation of AdFalciVax, India’s first indigenous recombinant multistage malaria vaccine, developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and its partners.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Malaria & Malaria vaccines.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
AdFalciVax: Indigenous Malaria Vaccine
- India’s first indigenous recombinant multistage malaria vaccine.
- Developed by: Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar under the ICMR.
- The vaccine is designed to prevent Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and also reduce community transmission of the parasite.
- Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite (responsible for the most lethal form of malaria) and difficult to control.
AdFalciVax: Recombinant Multistage Malaria Vaccine
1. Recombinant Malaria Vaccine:
- AdFalciVax is a recombinant malaria vaccine (made using genetic engineering). The vaccine uses Lactococcus lactis (a genetically engineered food-grade bacterial host).
- Pieces of DNA from the malaria parasite (Plasmodium) are inserted into Lactococcus lactis (a safe bacterium often used in dairy fermentation).
- This genetically engineered bacterium acts as a bio-factory to produce the malaria antigens.
2. Multistage Malaria Vaccine:
- Existing Malaria vaccines like RTS, S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M are single-stage vaccines i.e., they target the pre-erythrocytic/sporozoite stage.
- Sporozoite stage is the stage when an infected female mosquito injects sporozoites (infectious cells of Plasmodium parasites) in the skin of a mammalian host.
- AdFalciVax is amultistage vaccine i.e., it targets the two key stages of the Pasmodium parasite’s life cycle:
- pre-erythrocytic/sporozoite stage
- erythrocytic / blood stage: when the parasite infects red blood cells. (Only a few sporozoites leave the skin and travel through the bloodstream to reach the liver).
AdFalciVax targets the parasite before it enters the bloodstream, thus stopping the infection at the transmission stage. Hence, AdFalciVax vaccine not only protects the vaccinated human from developing Malaria but also reduces community transmission.
Advantages of AdFalciVax
Preclinical data suggest that AdFalciVax have advantages over existing single-stage vaccines.
- Broader protection by targeting two vulnerable parasite stages.
- Affordable, stable, and scalable solution.
- Thermal stability: Vaccine remains effective for over 9 months at room temperature.
- Lower risk of immune evasion and potential for better long-term immunity.
Pre-clinical validation of the vaccine
- The pre-clinical validation of the vaccine has been conducted in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research and National Institute of Immunology (NII).
Need for the Vaccine
- Reduce Malaria burden: Malaria remains one of the major public health problems in India. India carries 1.4% of the global malaria case burden, and accounted for 66% of cases in the Southeast Asia region.
- Meet India’s target under National Health Mission: Annual Malaria Incidence to be less than 1 in 1000 individuals.
The government aims to facilitate the commercialisation of the vaccine to prevent and minimise malaria transmission.
Also Read: Malaria Elimination: Efforts & Challenges