British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has unveiled possibly the world’s first malaria vaccine following “significant” results from an ongoing clinical trial. Researchers reported at a malaria conference in Durban, South Africa, that the jab continues to protect a substantial proportion of babies and young children 18 months after vaccination.
GSK said it would apply for a licence from the European Medicines Agency next year. If the vaccine – code-named RTS,S – is confirmed to be safe and effective, the World Health Organisation has indicated that it will support use of the vaccine as soon as 2015.
The company has also vowed to sell the vaccine at cost price plus 5%, which it said would fund further research into tropical diseases.
The development of the jab has been jointly funded by GSK and Bill and Melinda Gates through the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.
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