Data from the second cohort of volunteers in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial sponsored by the US Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program showed a malaria vaccine candidate induced strong T-cell responses against the target antigens in all volunteers.
The vaccine, developed under a co-operative R&D agreement between GenVec and NMRC and produced using GenVec’s proprietary 293-ORF6 cell line and associated manufacturing process, is designed to provide protection against both liver and blood stages of the malaria parasite.
According to Thomas Richie, director, Malaria Program, Navy Component, NMRC is now planning to evaluate the protective effects of the vaccine following experimental challenge with Plasmodium falciparum parasites in the second half of the study.
Rick King, GenVec’s senior vice president of research, said: “The safety and immunogenicity of this malaria vaccine are encouraging and we are looking forward to moving the trial into the challenge phase. The ability to safely challenge human volunteers provides a unique opportunity to assess efficacy of candidate vaccines prior to field trials.”