In May 2024 Serum Institute of India (SII) announced that it was shipping the first set of R21/Matrix-M vaccines to the African region in a “significant step in the global fight against malaria”. The first shipment will be received by the Central African Republic, followed by other countries such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This step was celebrated in a flag-off ceremony at SII’s facility in Pune, attended by the US Ambassador to India and other guests.
The vaccine, developed in collaboration with University of Oxford and Novavax, is the second malaria vaccine authorised for use in children in malaria-endemic areas. The first 43,200 doses out of a total of 163,800 allocated for the Central African Republic have been shipped, with more to come over the coming days. SII states that it has manufactured 25 million doses, with a capacity to scale up to 100 million doses annually.
A great step forward
Hon. Eric Garcetti, US Ambassador to India, commented that the development of this vaccine represents a “great step forward in our battle against this deadly parasite”. He reflected that the US and India have “flourishing private sectors that foster innovation, knowledge, and access to high-quality healthcare”.
“The quality, affordable vaccines that will be produced through this partnership between Novavax and SII will prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths every year across the globe.”
Dr Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, R&D, SII, agreed that the initial shipment was a “momentous milestone” in the “collective fight” against malaria and commended the “power of collaboration” and the “efforts of our dedicated workforce”.
“As we embark on this critical mission to protect the most vulnerable members of our global community, we remain committed to our core values of innovation, affordability, and accessibility. This is a significant step towards a world free from the burden of malaria.”
A vital new tool
John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax, described the vaccine as a “vital new tool” against the “devastating health and economic impact of malaria on nearly half of the world’s population”.
“Now more than ever, collaborations are imperative to address unmet needs in preventable infectious disease. Novavax is proud of our partnership with the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, and grateful for the support of Gavi and UNICEF in the vaccine’s rollout.”
Professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford, hopes that “the start of the distribution at large scale” of a “high efficacy, very cost-effective vaccine” will mark a “turning point in the battle against malaria”.
The World Vaccine Congress Europe agenda covers malaria in several sessions to allow the community to explore efforts to combat the disease more effectively; do join us in Barcelona this October to contribute to these discussions, and don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletters here.
