Hyderabad to lead production of India’s first indigenous malaria vaccine

India’s first indigenous malaria vaccine, AdFalci Vax, is set to be produced in Hyderabad after ICMR licensed Indian Immunologicals and Biological E. The multi-stage recombinant vaccine targets malaria at different stages, has shown strong pre-clinical results, and requires only one shot

Hyderabad: A decade-long effort to develop India’s first indigenous malaria vaccine could soon bear fruit, with a significant part of the work taking place in Hyderabad.

In a major development, two Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturers, Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) and Biological E Limited, have received a licence from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to manufacture the country’s first indigenous malaria vaccine.

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Named AdFalci Vax, the vaccine is India’s first indigenous, multi-stage recombinant malaria vaccine. Unlike conventional vaccines, it has been designed to attack the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum at multiple stages of its life cycle, before it enters the liver and later in the bloodstream, making it more effective in stopping the infection from spreading.

The vaccine has already completed its crucial pre-clinical trial phase, demonstrating both potential and safety. Senior public health officials said AdFalci Vax has shown excellent efficacy in animal models and laboratory studies.

“The ICMR has licensed the entire technology of this vaccine to the pharmaceutical companies. This is a very important step to move the vaccine from a research stage to the development and manufacturing stage. The companies will now take up large-scale production, clinical trials and commercialisation of the vaccine,” officials familiar with the development said.

The ICMR malaria vaccine is a recombinant vaccine, which means it does not use a weakened or dead version of the parasite. Instead, researchers have taken a small, harmless protein from the malaria parasite and inserted it into Lactococcus lactis bacterium, commonly used in cheese-making. The bacterium then produces the malaria protein, which is collected and used in the vaccine.

Key points:

• India’s first indigenous malaria vaccine being developed in Hyderabad
• ICMR transfers AdFalci Vax licence to Indian Immunologicals and Biological E
• Targets parasite before bloodstream entry, preventing transmission
• Affordable, stable and scalable solution
• Remains effective for over nine months at room temperature
• Tests so far show a single shot provides effective protection
• Non-replicating, meaning it does not multiply inside the human body