AdFalciVax: First indigenous recombinant chimeric Malaria Vaccine

India is currently developing an innovative multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate, named AdFalciVax, as part of its broader public health and Make in India initiative. This indigenously developed recombinant chimeric vaccine—a type of vaccine that combines genetic material from multiple sources to trigger a strong immune response—is specifically designed to target two critical stages of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. Plasmodium falciparum is known to cause the most lethal form of malaria, and AdFalciVax marks India’s first indigenous vaccine aimed at this deadly pathogen.

The vaccine is being developed through a collaborative effort between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Biotechnology’s National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII).

Additional development support comes from ICMR’s Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar (RMRCBB) and the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR).

Notably, AdFalciVax is a recombinant multistage vaccine, which means it is genetically engineered to include components that act at multiple stages of the parasite’s lifecycle—specifically the pre-erythrocytic stage (before the parasite enters red blood cells) and the sexual stage, which occurs inside the mosquito.

This dual-stage approach is crucial, as it not only aims to protect individuals from infection but also works to interrupt community-level transmission by mosquito vectors (organisms like mosquitoes that transmit disease-causing parasites from one host to another).

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What sets AdFalciVax apart from existing malaria vaccines is its chimeric design, which combines multiple antigenic components to broaden immune coverage and reduce the risk of immune evasion—a process by which parasites or pathogens avoid detection and elimination by the immune system.

Furthermore, the vaccine is being produced using Lactococcus lactis, a safe, food-grade bacterium commonly used in dairy fermentation, making the production process both safe and scalable.

In preclinical studies—the stage of research conducted in lab settings and on animals before human trials—the vaccine has demonstrated excellent efficacy, including broader protection, reduced risk of immune evasion, and potential for long-term immunity. It has also shown impressive thermal stability, remaining effective for over nine months at room temperature, which is highly beneficial for vaccine deployment in resource-limited settings where cold chain logistics may be challenging.

Recognizing the vaccine’s promising potential, ICMR plans to license the AdFalciVax technology under non-exclusive agreements. This means that multiple eligible organizations or manufacturers can access the technology simultaneously for further development, manufacturing, and eventual commercialization.

All such collaborations will adhere to ICMR’s Intellectual Property Policy, ensuring transparent and equitable access. This non-exclusive licensing strategy aims to maximize public health impact by enabling widespread production and availability of the vaccine once it is approved for use.

It is important to note that AdFalciVax is still in the early research and development phase and is not yet approved for clinical use or commercial distribution. However, researchers and public health experts believe that with continued progress, it holds the potential to become a key tool in India’s malaria elimination strategy, especially by simultaneously preventing infection and reducing transmission at the community level.

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