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India is developing a multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate called AdFalciVax.

AdFalciVax: INDIA'S INDIGENOUS MULTI-STAGE MALARIA VACCINE CANDIDATE

What is AdFalciVax?

It is India's first indigenous recombinant chimeric malaria vaccine candidate. 

Developers produce the vaccine using Lactococcus lactis, a safe, food-grade bacterium.

Who is developing AdFalciVax?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology-National Institute of Immunology (DBT-NII) is developing AdFalciVax.

It is currently in its preclinical stage of development; not available for any clinical use or commercialization.

What makes AdFalciVax a "chimeric" and "multi-stage" vaccine?

It is a "chimeric" vaccine because it combines genetic material from different sources to create a hybrid structure, which allows scientists to target specific antigenic components effectively. 

It is "multi-stage", as it targets two critical stages of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite's life cycle: the pre-erythrocytic stage, which occurs in the liver, and the sexual stage, which allows transmission via mosquitoes. 

What is malaria?

It is a disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, transmitted by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. 

The disease is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, including sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America.

After a mosquito bite, malaria parasites first infect the liver, then multiply and enter red blood cells.

Symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, and headache, which occur when infected red blood cells burst. Severe cases can lead to organ failure or death.

What are the current treatments for malaria?

Treatments for malaria include various drugs like chloroquine and artemisinin. Youyou Tu received the Nobel Prize for her discovery of artemisinin (antimalarial drug).

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Source: NEWSONAIR