by The preliminary results of a mid-stage clinical trial conducted in Mali reveal that a single dose of an experimental malaria monoclonal antibody, developed by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offers 77% protective efficacy against malaria disease in vulnerable children. The findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, underscore the potential of this long-acting antibody to address an unmet public health need.
According to Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH, “A monoclonal antibody that can be delivered in a single healthcare visit and rapidly provide high-level protection against malaria in these populations would be a significant advancement.”
The trial, which assessed two dose levels, reported that 19% of the 300mg-dose group and 28% of the 150mg-dose group developed symptomatic malaria, providing protective efficacy of 77% and 67% against symptomatic malaria, respectively. In contrast, 81% of the placebo group became infected with Plasmodium falciparum, and 59% experienced symptomatic malaria during the six-month study period.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2022, Plasmodium falciparum parasites were responsible for approximately 75% of the estimated 250 million malaria cases worldwide and more than 600,000 malaria-related deaths. The majority of these cases and fatalities occurred among children in Africa. Malaria parasites, such as P. falciparum, are transmitted to people through mosquito bites.
This study marks the first time that a single dose of a monoclonal antibody, administered by subcutaneous injection, has demonstrated the ability to provide high-level protection against malaria in children in an area of intense malaria transmission.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research.
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
