Malaria vaccine for pregnant women safe in Phase 1 Trial

In regions of the world where malaria is endemic, pregnant women who contract the infection face severe health risks as well as complications in their pregnancies. Blood cells infected with malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasites tend to accumulate in the placenta, negating the childhood immunity that some people develop in endemic regions, which would typically mitigate the effects of the disease. The study team behind a phase 1 trial recently published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases has demonstrated that the PRIMVAC placental malaria vaccine candidate is safe, immunogenic, and induced functional antibodies in volunteers. The study marks the first in-human trial of the vaccine candidate, but did not evaluate the placental vaccine in pregnant women. The study design involved a randomized, double-blind trial in 2 staggered phases, which took place between April 19, 2016, and July 13, 2017. The phase 1A trial was conducted in France among 18-35-year-old women who were malaria naïve. Volunteers in...