Vaccine breakthroughs create hope for millions

Announced this month, two major advances in the development and technology of vaccine delivery could result in millions of lives being saved in the next decade.

Published in the Lancet on October 16th, the results of a major trial on more than 2000 children have created real hope for families living in malaria endemic countries, demonstrating the best results ever for a candidate malaria vaccine. The trial vaccine, RTS,S/AS02A has been developed through a public/private partnership between GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals and the Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH). It completed its first major clinical trial involving more than 2000 children aged between one and four living in Maputo province, in southern Mozambique, an area with perennial malaria transmission due to the most deadly and common type of malaria infection, the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite.

Results show that, although not reaching the efficacy of classical childhood vaccines, which is often greater than 80%, the vaccine did reduce new episodes of severe malaria by 57.7%. Amongst the under two year olds, the vaccine was reported to be 77% effective against severe malaria. With resistance to anti-malarial drugs now a growing problem, this level of efficacy has the potential to make a huge impact as one weapon in an armoury of malaria control tools, none of which is 100% effective.

Although further trials are needed before licensing, hopes are for the general availability of a commercial malaria vaccine by 2010.

Meanwhile, in the UK, came the announcement of a new technology that could revolutionise the international vaccine programme by eliminating the need for refrigeration. Based on processes two billion years old, this new 'stable liquid' technology should enable vaccines to be stored for long periods in a range of environmental conditions, without the need for refrigeration and reconstitution.

Manufacturer, Cambridge Biostability Ltd estimates that today, some 50% of all vaccines are wasted partly due to suspected or real temperature damage. Savings from removing the 'cold chain' from the vaccination process could enable the vaccination of 10 million additional children worldwide within existing health budgets. Of the 132 million children born each year, almost one third are not reached by routine vaccination. Two million die each year from preventable diseases.

The availability of stable vaccines will also give hope to children in remote areas of the world, currently excluded from traditional vaccination programmes. They also create an opportunity for emergency response teams to store vaccines in preparation for an outbreak and business travellers and military personnel to carry vaccines as part of a standard medical kit.

A first initiative is underway using this new technique to develop a five in one vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hib and hepatitis B, expected to be completed in three years. In theory the technology can be used on any vaccine. The Department for International Development (DFID) has awarded £950,000 funding to the project.

For more information visit www.biostability.com.