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Dear friends of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative,
Advocacy was front and center at MVI in the second quarter of 2011, culminating in three events on three continents in the last week of June. We released a new report on funding trends in malaria research and development that documents a remarkable rise in global investment—funding has almost quintupled in 16 years—but also cautions that we need to stay the course and keep funding flowing with modest increases in the short term or put at risk potential products in the pipeline. MVI co-sponsored two well-attended events in London and Washington, DC, to mark the release.
At the same time, we held the Malaria Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship workshop in Nairobi, which brought together 17 scientists and researchers from eight African countries. The Fellows learned to enhance their advocacy and communications skills so that they might more effectively influence policy and funding decisions in their countries. Our work in the advocacy arena is often overshadowed by our scientific work, but advocacy is critical to what we do at MVI and extends beyond North America to other parts of the world, especially Africa and Europe.
June also saw the announcement of a new collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals and Crucell to begin a clinical trial—based on a “prime-boost” approach—that we hope will move the ball farther down the field toward a second-generation vaccine by 2025 (what could be called version 2.0). Another prime-boost project is also starting a trial this year.
Looking to the fall, we expect the first results of the Phase 3 efficacy trial of RTS,S to be available in the fourth quarter. While the final results are not expected until late 2014, the partners in the project are committed to maintaining transparency around the Phase 3 trials and their progress—so expect to hear more from us later this year.
Sincerely,
Christian Loucq, MD
Director
PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
mvi_info@path.org
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2011 Malaria Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship
 June 27 to July 1, 2011, Nairobi, Kenya
2011 fellowship brings together researchers and scientists
The 2011 Malaria Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship brought together 17 scientists and researchers from eight mainly eastern and western African countries over the course of the week. Run by MVI in collaboration with Burness Communications, the program aims to bridge the worlds of malaria vaccine science and policymaking at national, regional, and international levels.
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R&D funding study
MVI and several partners published and launched a technical report on the state of malaria research and development funding, titled Staying the Course? Malaria Research and Development in a Time of Economic Uncertainty.
Authored by Policy Cures, the report found that, as a whole, funding for malaria R&D nearly quintupled in the last 16 years but requires only modest increases over the next several years, with a 15 percent spike around 2016 to cover the costs of moving products through final stages of clinical testing. The good news for donors is that they may then be able to decrease their investments slightly through 2020 (the last year covered by the report). However, funding for vaccines will need to escalate beyond 2016 to accommodate the development of a second-generation vaccine. The report includes several caveats, notably that projections of the resources needed to support the product pipeline assume improved coordination among those funding R&D and that resources will shift among product categories (diagnostics, drugs, insecticides, and vaccines) depending on the phase of
development.
Two well-attended launches—in London and Washington, DC—were held to publicize the release. Details of the report and the launches can be found here.
PIs from RTS,S trial get the word out about malaria vaccines
Principal Investigators (PIs) for the Phase 3 RTS,S trials in Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana took a brief break from their research tasks to make the case for malaria vaccines and support for R&D. RTS,S, the most clinically advanced malaria vaccine candidate to date, entered a Phase 3 efficacy trial in May 2009. The first results of the efficacy trial (for 5- to 17-month-olds, the older of two age groups enrolled in the trial) are anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2011.
On June 7, Dr. John Lusingu, a PI for the Korogwe, Tanzania, trial site, spoke at an event held to highlight the potential of new vaccines for improving global health. The event, hosted by the Global Health Technologies Coalition with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, was held in the US Capitol building. Lusingu discussed how research for new vaccines helps build capacity in endemic countries, provides educational opportunities for local scientists and staff, and improves the quality of care for the local communities.
Dr. Patricia Njuguna, PI from the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust site in Kilifi, Kenya, participated in the prestigious Pacific Health Summit, held June 21–23 in Seattle, Washington. According to conference organizers, “the Summit provides an ongoing forum for world leaders to improve health by working together to grapple with problems and solutions, share best practices, and forge effective collaborations.” The theme of this year’s summit was vaccines.
On June 30, Seth Owusu, RTS,S PI and director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana, addressed a Washington, DC, event marking the launch of Staying the Course? (see above). With the Phase 3 trials of RTS,S ongoing, Owusu focused on the positive impact of training and equipment on the health of trial participants, as well as the larger community served by the district hospital near the study center. Joining Owusu on the panel were Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer, Coordinator of the US President’s Malaria Initiative, and other distinguished speakers. Washington Post reporter/editorialist Michael Gerson moderated the event.
Community perceptions of malaria and vaccines in Kenya
A qualitative study newly published in Malaria Journal highlights the perceptions of malaria and vaccines in two malaria-endemic regions of Kenya—South Coast and Busia. The study was conducted by the African Medical and Research Foundation in Kenya in collaboration with MVI. The findings are meant to help address data requirements of African policymakers for timely and informed decisions on the role of an eventual malaria vaccine in their malaria control and immunization programs. Read more »
Health Affairs journal beats the drum for vaccines
June was a blockbuster month for vaccines worldwide, culminating in pledges of more than $4 billion for the GAVI Alliance, in support of its efforts to deliver lifesaving vaccines. Among the many events leading up to this monetary milestone, the monthly health policy journal Health Affairs devoted its June issue to vaccines, including an article by MVI Director Christian Loucq and others from MVI on the numerous innovations required to develop and, ultimately, deliver malaria vaccines. (More information is available here.)
Dr. Loucq also spoke at a launch event for the June issue, where he was joined by David Bishai of Johns Hopkins, Lewellys Barker from Aeras, and Peter Hotez of the Sabin Vaccine Institute on a panel detailing the challenges of developing vaccines against such hard targets as tuberculosis and Meningitis A. The agenda, slides, and audio files from the event are available here.
A key challenge for development of next-generation malaria vaccines? As in the malaria R&D funding study, the authors conclude, “Perhaps the greatest challenge is whether today’s enthusiasm and funding levels can be sustained.”
Collaboration on Phase 1/2a trial of prime-boost approach
In June, MVI announced a collaboration with Crucell N.V., the vaccine branch of Johnson & Johnson, and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals to conduct a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of a prime-boost vaccine approach. This project brings together two promising vaccine approaches in an effort to develop by 2025 a malaria vaccine able to fulfill the international community’s goal of a vaccine that is at least 80 percent effective against malaria and that lasts more than four years. A single dose of Crucell’s weakened recombinant adenovirus Ad35.CS.01 will be administered, followed by two doses of the RTS,S candidate malaria vaccine. The Phase 1/2a trial will take place later this year. It will be the first test in humans of this approach.
Read more »
MVI on the road and other news
MVI may be headquartered in Washington, DC, but our work takes our staff all over the world. In the last few months, MVI staff have traveled extensively within the United States, to Europe, and to Africa.
On May 2 and 3, MVI participated in the annual Optimalvac meeting in Heidelberg, Germany—a three-year European Commission-funded project focused on assay harmonization. Later that month, in Berlin, MVI’s director presented on three vaccine development programs of PATH, including MVI, at an event on public-private partnerships.
Representatives of MVI and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK) presented jointly on the MVI-GSK partnership at a May 20 event at the UK Parliament, organized by the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce as part of its annual international study mission.
MVI representatives also attended the Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board meeting in Geneva as part of the Research & Academia constituency, as well as part of this year’s World Health Assembly.
Other news
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