Malaria vaccine pilot program to start in Africa this month

After more than three decades of work and almost US$1 billion of investment, GlaxoSmithKline Plc and its partners are ready to deploy a vaccine for malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that kills almost half a million people each year.[LONDON] After more than three decades of work and almost US$1 billion of investment, GlaxoSmithKline Plc and its partners are ready to deploy a vaccine for malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that kills almost half a million people each year.

"Mobilising funding for these major endeavors which do not have a commercial opportunity has been a challenge, and will be an even bigger challenge in the future," said Thomas Breuer, chief medical officer of Glaxo's vaccines unit.UK drugmaker Glaxo, which estimates it's spending more than US$700 million on the project, would like to"hand over the funding baton to others," according to Breuer.

"A vaccine that is highly efficacious - 90 per cent or so - that's not in view at this point," she said."But this vaccine getting to where it is shows that a malaria vaccine can be made. It will be a pathfinder."The effort underscores the challenge of developing products for poorer countries that carry costs extending well beyond clinical trials and approvals, said Ashley Birkett, director of PATH's Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

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