Posted on 10/08/2013 5:21:41 AM PDT by xzins
British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline is seeking regulatory approval for the world's first malaria vaccine after trial data showed that it had cut the number of cases in African children.
Experts say that they are optimistic about the possibility of the world's first vaccine after the trial results.
Malaria, a mosquito-borne parasitic disease, kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year.
Scientists say an effective vaccine is key to attempts to eradicate it.
The vaccine known as RTS,S was found to have almost halved the number of malaria cases in young children in the trial and to have reduced by about 25% the number of malaria cases in infants.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is developing RTS,S with the non-profit Path Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), supported by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Many millions of malaria cases fill the wards of our hospitals," said Halidou Tinto, a lead investigator on the RTS,S trial from Burkina Faso.
Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites that are transmitted by the bites of mosquitoes "Progress is being made with bed nets and other measures, but we need more tools to battle this terrible disease."
The malaria trial was Africa's largest-ever clinical trial involving almost 15,500 children in seven countries.
The findings were presented at a medical meeting in Durban, South Africa.
Malaria remains the leading cause of illness and death around the globe
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
DDT is a lot more effective than that and probably a lot cheaper. 50% is not a good number when there is something available that can make it close to 100%.
Agreed, but anything that helps is a good thing.
Rachel Carson - killer of tens of millions.
One of history’s greatest mass murderers.
How common is it that vaccines can be used as a defense against protozoan parasites?
vets use vaccines against pet protozoa parasites
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