Novavax, CPLB, ICGEB partner to develop malaria vaccine in India

The partnership will leverage the virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine technology of Novavax, malaria vaccine research capabilities of ICGEB and vaccine manufacturing capability of CPLB for the development of effective malaria vaccine.

The project, which is being funded by India’s Department of Biotechnology Vaccine Grand Challenge Program, will be managed by the Malaria Vaccine Development Program.

Novavax vaccine development vice president Gale Smith said, "By combining our knowledge and experience with these partners to pursue the most advanced malaria vaccine concepts, we hope to one day have an effective vaccine against one of the world’s most devastating diseases."

The partners will develop and evaluate VLPs that express Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein. After establishing the feasibility of Novavax’s technology, the partners will investigate the possibility of producing additional VLPs against antigens from other stages of malaria parasites.

Cadila chairman Indravadan Modi said, "Malaria is a common health problem for tropical countries and efforts have been ongoing for years for its eradication."