Last Updated: 10/07/2025
Rapid evaluation of Plasmodium falciparum Transmission Blocking Vaccine (PfTBV) candidates through enhanced African Resource Centers (ARC) for integration into malaria control and elimination
Objectives
The aims of this project are;
- to tests three well-established sexual stage antigens in humans: Pfs48/45, Pfs230 (clinical benchmark), and a Pfs230-Pfs48/45 chimeric antigen (first-in-human testing).
- to strengthen capacity for vaccine trials, training, networking, and experience sharing.
- to use trial samples and data to identify immune correlates of vaccine efficacy and compile an African biobank for future studies.
The phase 2 of PfSPZ vaccine in children in Mali, a clinical trial (NCT04940130) conducted under this project aimed to measure the number of participants with possibly, probably, or definitely related serious adverse events (SAEs).
University of Sciences Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Mali
National Center for Training and Research in Rural Health (CNFRSR), Guinea
Statens Serum Institute (SSI), Denmark
National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL)
Health Action Research Group (GRAS), Burkina Faso
PATH, United States
Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), The Netherlands
Malaria transmission blocking vaccines (PfTBV) halt parasite transmission to mosquitoes and are needed for elimination. The most advanced PfTBV (Pfs230D1M-EPA/AS01) induces high and durable functional serum activity in African adults, providing an essential benchmark for our partnership to rapidly identify the optimal candidate for Phase 3 trials. PfTBV addresses WHO Goal 3 Target 3.3, aiming to “end the epidemic of malaria diseases” by 2030 since a highly effective malaria vaccine is currently unavailable. Malaria vaccine development has been thwarted by the stepwise approach to assess one protein in the clinic at a time, thereby delaying evaluations and diverting resources from other targets.
These challenges are circumvented by directly comparing lead vaccine candidates, delivery platforms, and adjuvants, providing a definitive down-selection of optimal candidates for later efficacy trials. The resulting PfTBV could be used alongside RTS,S, or “anti-infection” vaccine components (outside this proposal). Multi-stage vaccines would directly protect and halt onward parasite transmission. Four African (Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Liberia), two European (Denmark and Netherland), and one US institution (PATH) will lease with the NIH as third party and form the PfTBV consortium, leveraging past/current investments.
Project DetailsOverviewpftbv consortium websiteClinical Trial.gov details
Jan 2019 — Aug 2024
$19.99M
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