AdFalciVax: India’s First Indigenous Two-Stage Malaria Vaccine
Why in the news
India developed AdFalciVax, a home-made vaccine candidate against the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.
Key facts
- Type: recombinant, chimeric vaccine on a multistage antigen platform.
- Developers: ICMR, RMRC Bhubaneswar, National Institute of Malaria Research and DBT-National Institute of Immunology.
- Aims: prevent infection, break community transmission and support India’s Malaria Elimination Roadmap (2030).
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Two-stage action | Liver (pre-erythrocytic) and mosquito (sexual) stages |
| Shelf life | Room temperature for 9+ months |
| Wider protection | Several antigens to prevent immune escape |
| Production | Lactococcus lactis, a food-grade bacterium: safe, scalable, low cost |
| Licensing | Non-exclusive, encouraging collaboration |
Exam angle
- Target parasite: Plasmodium falciparum; production host: Lactococcus lactis.
- Linked goal: Malaria Elimination Roadmap 2030.