An early stage clinical trial found a malaria vaccine was safe for adults.
The treatment, which "generate[s] an immune system response," could aid in the eradication of the parasitic infections, a National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Disease (NIAID) press release reported.
"The global burden of malaria is extraordinary and unacceptable," NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., said. "Scientists and health care providers have made significant gains in characterizing, treating and preventing malaria; however, a vaccine has remained an elusive goal. We are encouraged by this important step forward."
The drug, known as the PfSPZ Vaccine, was tested on 57 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 45 who had never suffer from malaria.
Seventeen of the participants were not given the vaccine; the other subjects were given varied doses of the medicine. All of the participants that received the vaccine were monitored for adverse side effects.
No health concerns were observed in the patients who received the vaccine, even in those who were given the highest doses.
The patients that received the higher doses were found to produce a higher antibody and T-cell defense against malaria.
All of the participants, including those who did not receive the vaccine, were exposed to bites from three malaria-infected mosquitos. The patients were monitored carefully, and treated for the parasite if it was transmitted.
Out of the 15 patients that had received the higher doses only three became infected with malaria. All but one patients was infected in the lower dosage group, and the same result was seen in the control group.
"In this trial, we showed in principle that sporozoites can be developed into a malaria vaccine that confers high levels of protection and is made using the good manufacturing practices that are required for vaccine licensure ," Robert A. Seder, M.D., chief of the Cellular Immunology Section of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center and principal investigator of the trial, said.
The current struggle with the drug is that it must be administered intravenously, injections don't provide as strong of a defense against malaria.
"Despite this challenge, these trial results are a promising first step in generating high-level protection against malaria, and they allow for future studies to optimize the dose, schedule and delivery route of the candidate vaccine," Dr. Seder, said.
Malaria is transmitted through "the bite of an infected mosquito," Web MD reported.
Common symptoms of the infection are: headaches, chills, fever, fatigue, sweats, nausea, and vomiting. More serious symptoms include muscle pain, a dry cough, and an enlarged spleen.
