Mosquirix (RTS,S) / GSK - LARVOL DELTA

Malaria Vaccines and Global Equity: A Scoping Review of Current Progress and Future Directions. (PubMed, Biomedicines) - "This progress continued with the 2023 approval of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, which is more cost-effective, more potent due it is higher protein content, and easier to manufacture...Search and Boolean search terms were modified to include terms like "malaria vaccines", "malaria vaccination", "malaria immunisation", "malaria immunisation AND malaria-endemic countries", "malaria endemic low-income countries AND malaria control", "malaria public health control", "malaria chemoprophylaxis AND early diagnosis of malaria", "screening for malaria", and "laboratory diagnosis of malaria in endemic countries" in order to find pertinent studies. Preliminary insights suggest that although vaccines are crucial, comprehensive strategies involving health education, hygiene, and timely medical intervention remain essential to malaria control."

Journal • Review • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Safety of RTS,S/AS01E vaccine for malaria in African children aged 5 to 17 months: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. (PubMed, PLOS Glob Public Health) - "The risk of SAEs is comparable between children who received the RTS,S/AS01E vaccine and those who received the rabies vaccine, except for severe malaria, which is significantly more frequent in the rabies vaccine group. This suggests that the RTS,S/AS01E vaccine may provide meaningful protection against severe forms of malaria, a critical outcome in high-burden regions. However, further long-term data are needed to confirm these findings and address several unresolved questions."

Journal • Retrospective data • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Infectious Disease • Malaria • Pneumonia • Respiratory Diseases

Sense-Making During the RTS,S Malaria Vaccine Pilot Implementation in Ghana. (PubMed, Qual Health Res) - "The pilot implementation of the RTS,S/AS01E (Mosquirix) malaria vaccine marked a significant step in addressing one of Africa's leading causes of mortality by providing essential data that led to its approval for use in children under two years old in malaria-endemic regions...The study evidenced the need for a holistic approach to engaging community members in pilot sites to guide their vaccine decision-making. By identifying the complex decision-making processes that individuals go through, we can better inform vaccine policy and public messaging to guide vaccine decision-making."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Malaria vaccine implementation in Nigeria: Addressing the coverage challenges within the national immunization program for high impact. (PubMed, Vaccine) - "The malaria vaccines, RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M, bring fresh hope to curbing malaria mortality globally, especially among children below age five who are most susceptible...It draws from review-level evidence to propose four priority areas for improvement within the NPI to achieve a high-impact implementation-i.e., Reach Maximization, Social Mobilization, Program Management, and Progress Monitoring-in line with global immunization strategy frameworks. Evidence-based strategies to influence these domains in the Nigerian context are emphasized."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Role of malaria exposure and off-target responses on RTS,S/AS02A vaccine immunogenicity and protection in Mozambican children. (PubMed, NPJ Vaccines) - "Increased levels of IgG to the C-terminus and NANP-repeat regions of PfCSP, and to PfMSP5 and PfMSP1 block 2, following vaccination, were significantly associated with a lower hazard of clinical malaria over 6 months. Thus, immune priming, anti-PfCSP C-terminus and off-target antibody responses contributed to malaria protection after adjusting for prior Pf exposure, and this could guide strategies for optimizing the immunogen and vaccine deployment."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Virus-like particle vaccines targeting a key epitope in circumsporozoite protein provide sterilizing immunity against malaria. (PubMed, bioRxiv) - "We also compared the efficacy of L9-targeted vaccines to the licensed vaccine, RTS,S/AS01 E (Mosquirix™, GSK). Immunization with Qβ L9 VLPs, MS2 L9 VLPs, and RTS,S/AS01 E provided significant protection from liver-stage infection in a mouse model; immunization with Qβ L9 VLPs elicited sterilizing immunity in the highest percentage of mice. A combination vaccine consisting of MS2 L9 and Qβ L9 VLPs, each presenting the L9 epitope in distinct structural forms, provided the strongest protection, reducing liver parasite burden and promoting sterilizing immunity more effectively than the licensed RTS,S/AS01 E vaccine."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Efficacy of RTS,S/AS01E only seen in baseline parasitemic and not baseline aparasitemic Plasmodium falciparum-exposed, drug-treated Kenyan adults. (PubMed, J Infect Dis) - P2 | "Treating Pf infections during vaccination does not result in increased VE. Anti-CS antibody responses to vaccination do not differ with baseline Pf infection status, drug treatment, or susceptibility to Pf infections."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Malaria Vaccines: Current Achievements and Path Forward. (PubMed, Vaccines (Basel)) - "Additionally, we discuss emerging technologies, such as mRNA-based platforms, nanoparticle delivery systems, and novel adjuvants, assessing their potential to enhance the efficacy and mitigate the waning immunity concerns of most malaria vaccines. We believe that the identification of novel immunogen candidates, together with continued innovation in vaccine design and delivery, will enable us to win the fight against malaria in the future."

Journal • Review • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Epitope specificity of antibody-mediated protection induced in mice by the malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS01. (PubMed, NPJ Vaccines) - "The epitope specificity of antibodies mediating protection in mice was characterized in vivo using transgenic sporozoites expressing restricted antigenic portions of PfCSP. In this model, we found protection is mediated mostly by antibodies specific for the central repeats."

Journal • Preclinical • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Determinants of Malaria Vaccine Acceptance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Awareness, Acceptance, Hesitancy, and Willingness to Pay. (PubMed, Immun Inflamm Dis) - "This review revealed an 83% acceptance rate for the malaria vaccine, with variability in awareness (32%), hesitancy (14%), and willingness to pay (58%). Age, employment, and socioeconomic status were significant determinants of acceptance. However, due to potential publication bias and high heterogeneity, these findings should be cautiously interpreted. The results highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to enhance vaccine acceptance. Further research is required to elucidate factors that influence vaccine acceptance."

Clinical • Journal • Retrospective data • Review • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Identification of a Protective Non-CSP Epitope for Enhanced Malaria Vaccine Strategies (IMMUNOLOGY 2025) - "Notably, 14G3 reduced sporozoite invasion and delayed parasitemia in a mouse model. This protective non-CSP epitope is a promising candidate for combination vaccine strategies against malaria.Keywords: Animals Rodent; Cells B Cells; Infections Parasitic-Helminth; Molecules Antibodies; Processes Memory"

Infectious Disease • Malaria

Development of Malaria Vaccines Using the Sail eRNATM Platform (IMMUNOLOGY 2025) - "eRNA performance was confirmed in a malaria vaccine reference laboratory where anti-PfCSP antibody titers were significantly greater for four of the five R21 eRNA vaccines than those reported for licensed malaria vaccines. These results demonstrate the potential of Sail's eRNA platform to generate a scalable vaccine for malaria, with superior efficacy and durability than first-generation vaccines.Keywords: Animals Rodent; Infections Parasitic-Helminth; Molecules Antibodies Antigens/Peptides/Epitopes"

Infectious Disease • Malaria

Exploring the role of Plasmodium circumsporozoite-specific ZEB2+ cytolytic effector memory CD4+ T cells in protection against malaria (IMMUNOLOGY 2025) - "The two WHO-approved vaccines (RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M) both target the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antigen of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite...Using radiation-attenuated sporozoite immunization in ZEB2 reporter and loss-of-function mouse models, we are investigating if ZEB2+ CD4+ T cells differentiate, establish liver residency, and protect against live infection. Taken together, we will be discussing whether ZEB2+ CD4+ T cells may represent new correlates of protection in malaria.Keywords: Animals Human Rodent; Cells T Cells, Cytotoxic; Molecules T Cell Receptors; Processes Memory"

Infectious Disease • Malaria • CD4 • ZEB2

Nurses' knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey. (PubMed, Malar J) - "The findings highlight major gaps in Nigerian nursing's knowledge and awareness of malaria vaccinations, as well as their willingness to recommend the vaccine to parents. Addressing these gaps will enable nurses to play a critical role in the successful implementation of malaria immunization campaigns, lowering the illness burden among vulnerable populations."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Knowledge, acceptance and willingness to pay for malaria vaccine among residents of a semi-urban community in Kaduna State, North-western Nigeria. (PubMed, Niger Med J) - "Despite low awareness, willingness to accept the malaria vaccine was high in the community. It is recommended that immediate steps be taken by relevant stakeholders to educate the public and begin the rollout of the vaccine to avoid the spread of rumours and misconceptions."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Unveiling mismatch of RTS S AS01 and R21 Matrix M malaria vaccines haplotype among Ethiopian Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "Furthermore, haplotype network and phylogenetic tree analyses shown considerable similarity among local and global isolates. The findings of this study revealed a high Pfcsp genetic diversity highlighting the need for further studies to inform allele selection for universal or region-specific vaccine development as this may influence vaccine efficacy."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Safety of RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine up to 1 year after the third dose in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi (EPI-MAL-003): a phase 4 cohort event monitoring study. (PubMed, Lancet Glob Health) - P | "We found no evidence of vaccination being associated with an increased risk of meningitis, cerebral malaria, or mortality among vaccinated children, and no new safety risks were identified."

Journal • P4 data • CNS Disorders • Epilepsy • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections • Infectious Disease • Malaria • Pneumococcal Infections • Pneumonia

Incidence rates of malaria, meningitis, and mortality in children younger than 5 years: a prospective cohort study in Ghana and Kenya before the roll-out of the RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine from 2016 to 2022. (PubMed, Lancet Glob Health) - "Observed incidence of meningitis and cerebral malaria were in the previously published range, whereas childhood mortality was lower, suggesting that the recent efforts to reduce mortality in children younger than 5 years have been impactful. Data from this study have public health use and will form the baseline evidence for ongoing evaluation of the benefit-risk of RTS,S/AS01E."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Infectious Disease • Malaria

The effect of disease transmission on time-aggregated treatment efficacy estimates: a critical analysis of factors influencing the RTS,S and R21 malaria vaccine phase 3 trials. (PubMed, Lancet Infect Dis) - "Using published results from R21 and RTS,S trials, we show this effect and provide a series of counterfactual predictions, illustrating how vaccine efficacy might differ, by between 10% and 20% in some cases, under alternative vaccination dates. We also discuss how this effect might confound efforts to identify determinants of protective efficacy and offer recommendations to address it in the analysis and reporting of trial results."

Journal • P3 data • Review • Infectious Disease • Malaria • Pediatrics

First Malaria Vaccine RTS, S: A Step toward the Eradication of Malaria. (PubMed, Arch Razi Inst) - "RTS,S is a significant initial step in the path to the production of other highly protective and multi-stage vaccines that may become part of malaria eradication programs in the near future. Several malariologists are working on the early clinical development or trial phases of first-generation and next-generation malaria vaccines, such as R21/Matrix-M, using mRNA technology."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria • Novel Coronavirus Disease

A roadmap of priority evidence gaps for the co-implementation of malaria vaccines and perennial malaria chemoprevention. (PubMed, Malar J) - "Together, these areas will provide practical guidance on the co-implementation of the interventions, and robust evidence to inform decision-making on how best to design, optimize and scale-up co-implementation in different contexts, including if and in what contexts the co-implementation is cost-effective, and the optimal schedule for co-implementation. This will work towards supporting the policy process on co-implementation of malaria vaccines and PMC, and achieving the most impactful use of available resources for the prevention of malaria in children."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Current Developments in Malaria Vaccination: A Concise Review on Implementation, Challenges, and Future Directions. (PubMed, Clin Pharmacol) - "The introduction of pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines (RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M), represents an important milestone in malaria control efforts with promising results from the erythrocytic vaccine RH5.1/Matrix-M in recent clinical trials...There is a critical need to integrate malaria vaccination efforts with established malaria control interventions (eg, insecticide-treated bed nets, vector control strategies, and anti-malarial drugs). Achieving sustained control of malaria morbidity and mortality will require strong global collaboration, sufficient funding, and continuous efforts to address inequities in access and delivery of malaria control measures including the malaria vaccines."

Journal • Review • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Enhancing malaria elimination in high-transmission settings: the synergy of concurrent vector control and chemotherapy. (PubMed, Malar J) - "Synergistic intervention effects are crucial, but implementation context is paramount. While combining malaria interventions can be highly effective, not all combinations yield equal results. Thus, tailoring strategies to the specific local context and transmission dynamics is essential for maximizing impact. Moreover, successful malaria elimination is heavily reliant robust health systems and understanding the biological and operational challenges. Consequently, adaptable, evidence-based strategies are required to overcome these obstacles and achieve lasting progress toward malaria elimination."

Journal • Review • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Novel, fully human, anti-PfCSP antibodies with potent antimalarial activity using a phage display based strategy. (PubMed, Vaccine) - "The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is a major surface protein of the sporozoites, and is the target of two licensed Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccines, RTS,S/AS01, named Mosquirix and R21/Matrix-M. Low-dose passive transfer of the CL1 and CL3 antibodies conferred high-level protection when challenged with PfCSP-Pb transgenic parasites in the mouse infection model. The high in vitro and in vivo efficacies of the CL1 and CL3 antibodies have applications in malaria immunoprophylaxis in protecting travellers and military servicemen or as a therapeutic vaccine in malaria elimination programmes."

Journal • Infectious Disease • Malaria

Safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a condensed, multi-dose prime regimen of PfSPZ Vaccine for the prevention of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection. (PubMed, Malar J) - P1 | "The two-dose priming immunization regimen was safe, well tolerated and highly immunogenic. Larger studies may better define the adverse event profile of condensed regimens of PfSPZ Vaccine in malaria-naive adults."

Clinical • Journal • Fatigue • Infectious Disease • Malaria • Musculoskeletal Pain • Pain