2023-08-11 20:43:00
[OUAGADOUGOU] The “R21/Matrix-M” antimalarial vaccine, developed by Burkinabè researchers and their partners at the University of Oxford (England), has been approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency of Burkina Faso.
This vaccine is intended for children aged 5 to 36 months, the age group most at risk of death from malaria. This decision was made following clinical trials showed a high level of effectiveness.
“The results of the phase 2 clinical trial that we conducted show that the R21 vaccine has a protective efficacy of 77% over one year and that with a booster dose, this level of efficacy might be maintained for at least 3 years”, says Professor Halidou Tinto, principal investigator of the phase 2 and 3 trials of R21 at the Clinical Research Unit in Nanoro, a town located 90 km from Ouagadougou.
“Previously, we had strategies, but we didn’t have the vaccine strategy in the fight once morest malaria. With the R21/Matrix-M, whose administration will begin in 2024, we are really entering into this approach, which will be further strengthened”
Christian Kompaoré, Permanent Secretary for Malaria Elimination
Questioned by SciDev.Net, the researcher adds that the end of the analysis of the data of year 4 will make it possible to see if “this effectiveness will be able to reach 4 years”.
For Halidou Tinto, a leading player in the development process of the R21 vaccine, “this decision by the Agency is a fine consecration of my career as a researcher. This is all the more so since in the history of modern medicine, the vaccine remains the most effective tool we have for controlling infectious diseases,” he says.
This news was welcomed by the Permanent Secretary for Malaria Elimination, Christian Kompaoré. The latter maintains that “seeing the Agency give authorization for a vaccine is really a very good thing, especially since we are truly part of the process towards the elimination of malaria”, he specifies.
“We were already satisfied to see that the RTS’S was also approved. And this approval also of R21 therefore adds to the therapeutic arsenal with which to deal with this disease, ”comments the latter.
For his part, Bruno Nébié, secretary general of the Maison de l’Artemisia in Burkina, stresses that the approval of this vaccine is more than necessary.
“It is inconceivable today that anyone might die from malaria, which is a long-known parasite that unfortunately continues lives every day. This vaccine will certainly bring a plus to this fight once morest malaria. 77% efficacy for a vaccine is extremely good and encouraging,” says Bruno Nébié.
A million doses
Burkina thus becomes the third country to authorize the use of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, following Ghana and Nigeria. According to Burkinabè Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Lucien Kargougou, nearly 12 million cases of malaria, including 539,488 cases of severe malaria, and 4,243 deaths, including 2,925 children under 5, have been recorded in 2022.
More than 60% of deaths due to malaria concern children under 5, deplores Halidou Tinto.
To reduce mortality due to malaria within this vulnerable group, health authorities plan to vaccinate children aged 5 to 17 months once morest malaria in 2024 with R21/Matrix-M.
“One million doses will cover the children of the target in 27 health districts identified according to their high lethality and incidence,” said the Minister of Health during a press briefing on July 27, 2023. .
According to Halidou Tinto, the use of this vaccine will bring a plus in the strategy to fight once morest malaria in Burkina and Africa. The researcher recalls that vaccination enabled the elimination of smallpox in 1980 and the near elimination of diseases such as yellow fever, measles, etc. and the recent case of Covid-19 is a good illustration of this.
“Therefore, with the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, which has a protective efficacy of 77%, we have the most effective means of prevention once morest malaria infection. In my opinion, the R21 vaccine will be a “game changer” or ”game changer” in the fight once morest malaria”, he says.
Christian Kompaoré thinks that the approval of the R21 vaccine will make it possible to strengthen the vaccine strategy once morest malaria.
“Previously, we had strategies, but we didn’t have the vaccine strategy in the fight once morest malaria. With the R21/Matrix-M, whose administration will begin in 2024, we are really entering into this approach, which will be further strengthened,” he said.
Vaccine trial
The production and marketing license for this vaccine has been granted by the University of Oxford to the Serum Institute of India.
Halidou Tinto specifies that this Institute has submitted approval dossiers in several countries as well as to the WHO. “This means that by the end of this year, other countries in addition to Burkina, Ghana and Nigeria will certainly register this vaccine,” he hopes.
But at this stage of the research, the R21/Matrix-M only protects children under 5 years old. According to the researcher, studies are planned for 2024 to assess the effectiveness of the R21 vaccine in children under 5 and in older children, including adults.
“For example, we plan to test the R21 vaccine in 2024 in adults to assess the usefulness of this vaccine in interrupting transmission,” he says.
In the meantime, the Permanent Secretary for the Elimination of Malaria wants the population to adhere to this vaccine which will contribute to the process of eliminating the disease.
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