World’s First Malaria Vaccine, Mosquirix, Approved by European Medicine Agency

Mosquirix, the world’s first malaria vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and designed for use in young children, was recently approved by the European Medicine Agency (EMA). This brings the vaccine one step closer to be adopted by countries, which will now go before the World Health Organization for final assessment and the development of an implementation plan.

The vaccine, also known as RTS,S, has been under development since the late 1980s and has been supported in recent years by the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  While a number of other vaccines are also currently in development,  RTS,S has been designed to prevent malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Today’s scientific opinion represents a further important step towards making available for young children the world’s first malaria vaccine,” said Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, in a statement. “While RTS,S on its own is not the complete answer to malaria, its use alongside those interventions currently available such as bed nets and insecticides, would provide a very meaningful contribution to controlling the impact of malaria on children in those African communities that need it the most.”