About AdFalciVax Vaccine:
- It is a recombinant vaccine, meaning parts of the genes that encode for targets are inserted into a cell, the target proteins are expressed, and then used to trigger an immune response.
- It is developed in collaboration with its Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar (RMRCBB), the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), and the Department of Biotechnology’s National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII).
- It is being produced using Lactococcus lactis, a safe, food-grade bacterium.
- Unlike existing vaccines that focus on a single stage of the parasite, AdFalciVax combines antigenic components targeting both the pre-erythrocytic and sexual stages.
- This dual approach aims to protect individuals from infection and simultaneously reduce community transmission via mosquito vectors.
- The vaccine contains the genetic material of two targets — one for a major protein called CSP found on the surface of the malaria parasite and another for a combination of parts of two proteins that affect the pathogen’s lifecycle.
- Advantages of AdFalciVax Vaccine
- Unlike existing WHO-recommended vaccines RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) and R21/Matrix-M, AdFalciVax offers dual-stage protection and is cost-effective.
- 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.
