ICMR licences multi-stage malaria vaccine 'AdFalciVax' to five companies

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has granted non-exclusive rights for its multi-stage malaria vaccine, AdFalciVax, to five pharmaceutical companies, reported news agency PTI. In addition to the malaria vaccine, ICMR has also licenced its Salmonella and Shigella vaccine candidates to Biological E, according to a report by ET Pharma. 

 

The five pharma companies are Indian Immunologicals Limited, Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Panacea Biotec Limited, Biological E Limited, and Zydus Lifesciences.

 

Basis for selection

 

The selection of companies was made through an Expression of Interest (EoI) process launched by ICMR in July. The EoI invited applications from eligible organisations, companies, and manufacturers for undertaking Transfer of Technology (ToT) to commercialise the recombinant chimeric multi-stage malaria vaccine (AdFalciVax), developed to protect against Plasmodium falciparum. 

 

Following the EoI, several firms submitted proposals to undertake the technology transfer. Based on these submissions, five companies were chosen and granted licences. The agreement involves the use of Lactococcus lactis-based technology on a non-exclusive basis for further development, manufacturing, and commercialisation.

 

What is the multi-stage malaria vaccine 'AdFalciVax?

 

AdFalciVax is India’s first indigenous multi-stage malaria recombinant vaccine developed by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, under the ICMR. Following are key feature of the vaccine:

 

• The vaccine is designed to prevent Plasmodium falciparum infection in individuals and reduce community transmission
• Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite, difficult to control and responsible for widespread devastation
• AdFalciVax targets the parasite before it enters the bloodstream, stopping the infection at the transmission stage
• The vaccine uses Lactococcus lactis, a genetically engineered food-grade bacterial host, as its core technology
• It delivers a dual-antigen approach combining: PfCSP (Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein) to prevent infection and Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 fusion proteins to block transmission from humans to mosquitoes
• This dual-antigen approach makes AdFalciVax a multi-functional vaccine, aimed at both protecting individuals and halting the spread of malaria.
• Pre-clinical validation was carried out in collaboration with  ICMR–National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR)and National Institute of Immunology (NII), Delhi, under the Department of Biotechnology