BioNTech, in conjunction with Pfizer made an incredible feat in 2020 when they developed a vaccine for Covid-19 in just 10 months. The German based company seems not to be slowing down as they have started making plans to develop a malaria vaccine.
BioNTech Chief Executive and co-founder, Ugur Sahin stated that the goal is to develop a Messenger RNA vaccine that makes the malaria parasite easily detectable and trigger an immune response right from the onset of infection. This will help combat the unique feature of the malaria parasite of evading the immune system. Clinical trials for the vaccine are scheduled to begin in late 2022.
“The response to the pandemic has shown that science and innovation can transform people’s lives when all key stakeholders work together towards a common goal,” said BioNTech Chief Executive and co-founder Ugur Sahin.
Mosquirix is currently the only licenced malaria vaccine available. It was developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) but has only a 30% efficacy after clinical trials across several African countries.
The development an efficient malaria vaccine will be a huge breakthrough in combating the deadly parasite that kills over 400,000 people annually in Africa.
