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New Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
AdFalciVax: India's shot at stopping malaria on its tracks
India will soon have an advanced vaccine against malaria. In a major scientific breakthrough, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed an innovative recombinant, chimeric multi-stage malaria vaccine that could transform malaria prevention and control efforts in India and globally. Named AdFalciVax, the vaccine has been developed to offer both protection against Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and interruption of community transmission, unlike the existing two vaccines that can partially prevent infection in humans but cannot stop transmission in the community. The novel vaccine developed by Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, one of the constituent institutes of ICMR, is now ready for technology transfer to manufacturers or organisations for production, clinical trials and its commercialisation. Preliminary trials on animal models have been highly successful. The pre-clinical validation of the vaccine has been conducted in collaboration with National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), another constituent institute of ICMR, and National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, an autonomous research institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. A dual-stage game changer Unlike the currently available WHO-recommended vaccines - RTS, S/AS01 (Mosquirix), and R21/Matrix-M which have shown efficacies ranging between 33% and 67%, AdFalciVax promises dual-stage protection. It will not only shield people from contracting the deadliest strain of malaria but also prevent its spread within communities, considered an essential factor in breaking the chain of transmission. Dr Susheel Singh, scientist-D at RMRC, said AdFalciVax deploys a full-length PfCSP (circumsporozoite protein), a key surface antigen of P falciparum, for broader immune protection. It also incorporates a novel fusion of Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 proteins to induce potent transmission-blocking antibodies. 'The new vaccine can prevent human infection and interrupts transmission in the community, thereby tackling two critical developmental bottlenecks in the malaria parasite's life cycle,' Dr Singh said. The RMRC researchers said the vaccine has been developed using advanced protein engineering techniques and it leverages Lactococcus lactis, a safe bacterial host system, for antigen production. Additional director general of ICMR and director of RMRC Dr Sanghamitra Pati said preclinical trials conducted on mice showed robust and long-lasting immunity, even when exposed to 10,000 dual-transgenic Plasmodium berghei parasites engineered to express P falciparum antigens. 'The immune protection lasted over four months post-booster dose, which translates to more than a decade of protection in humans. The vaccine was administered with safe alum-based adjuvants and showed no adverse reactions,' said Dr Pati. Senior scientist Dr Subhash Singh was also a key contributor to the development of the vaccine. High stability at low cost The uniqueness of AdFalciVax over existing vaccines is its pharmaceutical stability. The formulation remains potent for over nine months at room temperature, doing away with the need for expensive cold chain logistics, which continue to be a long-standing challenge in vaccine distribution, especially in remote and under-resourced regions. The vaccine is also highly cost-effective, with an estimated production cost of just `20 per dose. The current vaccines are priced between `250 and `830 per dose. The affordability of the newly developed vaccine could make mass immunisation programmes significantly more viable. ICMR has now invited expressions of interest from eligible firms and manufacturers for technology transfer and commercial-scale production. The vaccine is expected to go for clinical trial stages soon and potentially be rolled out for public use in the next few years. However, the efficacy during the clinical trials will be the key.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
RMRC Bhubaneswar develops advanced malaria vaccine, ready for tech transfer
BHUBANESWAR: In a significant breakthrough, a team of researchers led by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, has developed a novel and advanced malaria vaccine that can prevent Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and community transmission. The new recombinant, chimeric multi-stage vaccine code-named AdFalciVax has been designed to protect against the deadliest malaria parasite in humans. It is now ready for technology transfer to manufacturers for production, clinical trials and its commercialisation. Currently, two malaria vaccines are available and cost in a range of `250 to `830 per dose. The efficacy rate is between 33 per cent and 67 per cent. Unlike existing WHO-recommended vaccines RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) and R21/Matrix-M, AdFalciVax offers dual-stage protection and is cost-effective. Scientist-D at RMRC Dr Susheel Singh said the new vaccine can prevent human infection and interrupt transmission in the community. 'AdFalciVax uses a full-length PfCSP, a major protein found in Pf, for broader protection and includes a novel fusion of Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 proteins to produce strong antibodies that stop the transmission,' he said. What makes AdFalciVax stand out among the existing vaccines is its exceptional pharmaceutical stability. The formulation remains potent for over nine months at room temperature, eliminating the need for costly cold chain logistics, which continue to be a major bottleneck in vaccine distribution across remote and resource-limited regions. According to the researchers, the vaccine has been developed with the help of cutting-edge protein engineering using Lactococcus lactis, a safe bacterial host. The pre-clinical validation of the technology has been conducted by RMRC in collaboration with National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) and National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. RMRC director Dr Sanghamitra Pati said, 'The vaccine's efficacy was sustained for over four months post-boost, which translates to over a decade of protection in humans.' Meanwhile, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi has invited expressions of interest from the eligible organisations, companies and manufacturers for transfer of technology and commercialisation.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
ICMR to transfer tech for production of malaria vaccine
Bhubaneswar: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, on Thursday invited expressions of interest from eligible organisations, companies, and manufacturers for undertaking the 'transfer of technology' for commercialisation of a malaria vaccine developed by ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar. This technology, "A recombinant chimeric multi-stage malaria vaccine (AdFalciVax) against Plasmodium falciparum", is useful in preventing Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and minimising its community transmission, said RMRC, Bhubaneswar, director Sanghamitra Pati. ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar, led the development of this technology and possesses the technical know-how of the process to produce this malaria vaccine. The pre-clinical validation of this technology was conducted in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR) and National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. The aim of the expression of interest (EoI) is to license the 'technology' for the vaccine, which is useful in preventing Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and minimising its community transmission, for commercialisation and marketing activities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo According to the EoI letter, ICMR is willing to collaborate with eligible organisations, companies, and manufacturers for undertaking the transfer of technology for commercialisation of the malaria vaccine. The company would be granted rights to undertake further development, manufacture, sell, and commercialise the technology/product. "RMRC, Bhubaneswar, has expertise in various techniques, methods, and information relating to the aforesaid technology, which could be used for the production of the malaria vaccine. It will provide expert guidance and technical support for the production of this vaccine. ICMR will provide technical support to the producing company," said the official sources.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
RMRC joins WHO network to reduce ‘health inequities'
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: The Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR-RMRC) in the city has been selected to join the WHO's 'Health Inequality Monitoring Network', a global initiative dedicated to advancing health equity through better data and evidence. Through the network, RMRC will contribute to developing tools, strengthening data systems and guiding policy interventions to reduce health inequities, official sources said. ICMR director Sanghamitra Pati said Odisha and the rest of the eastern region face significant health challenges, particularly among tribal, rura, and underserved populations. "Being a part of the network will allow RMRC to generate disaggregated data to better understand who is being left behind, support evidence-informed policies to reduce health gaps, and enhance regional health monitoring systems and capacity-building," she added. "This recognition places ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar among key institutions worldwide working to identify and address health disparities. The WHO's recently published report, 'Health Inequality Monitoring: Harnessing Data to Advance Health Equity', emphasises the critical role of monitoring in shaping inclusive health policies," read a press statement from RMRC. "By collaborating with WHO and other global partners, RMRC will play a critical role in shaping strategies that promote universal health coverage and equity-oriented health reforms," said Pati. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo As a participant in the network, she said the RMRC will support WHO in identifying training needs and organising capacity-building workshops for member states. "Our multidisciplinary team of experts will familiarise themselves with WHO's methods and tools on health inequality monitoring and help teams adhere to the shared guidelines," she added. Pati said RMRC will contribute technical inputs to enhance training programmes, support integration of data disaggregation into health systems and promote best practices. "RMRC will also share knowledge and help develop context-specific training resources to strengthen monitoring capacity across member states," she added.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Jaipur metro phase II work to kick off by Diwali, completion in five years
JAIPUR : According to a senior metro official, Rajasthan Metro Railway Corporation ( RMRC ) has submitted the approved Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Line 2 of Jaipur metro to the union govt and is presently awaiting final approval. Subsequent to this approval, the RMRC will initiate the tender process for the project and issue the work order. "In a meeting with the chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, we were asked to finish this process by Aug this year. The state govt aims to lay the foundation stone for the project any time before Diwali, considering the forthcoming civic polls," the official told TOI. While the previous Line 1 project, implemented during the Congress govt's tenure, was fully funded by the state, Line 2 will be a joint venture between the union and state govts. "Under the joint venture, the state govt will provide only 20% of the construction cost. The union govt will contribute another 20%, and the remaining 60% will be arranged through a soft loan. Agencies such as JICA are being considered for the soft loan," said another metro official. Construction of Jaipur Metro Line 1 (Mansarovar to Chandpole) was funded by the state, while the second phase (Chandpole to Badi Chaupar) relied on a Rs 969 crore loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB), which the state is currently facing difficulties in repaying. Officials said that planning meetings with the traffic department will soon take place to map out required diversions during construction. It is anticipated that the stretch will require between three to five years to complete. "We shall build the entire corridor in segments, ensuring no inconvenience across more than a 3 to 5 kilometre stretch at any one time," another official said.
