Why in News?

• Using a unique multistage antigen design, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is creating AdFalciVax, the country’s first domestic two-stage malaria vaccine, to fight Plasmodium falciparum.

About the First Indigenous Two-Stage Malaria Vaccine, AdFalciVax:

What is it?
• Plasmodium falciparum is the target of the recombinant, chimeric malaria vaccine candidate AdFalciVax.
• It offers dual protection by combining antigens from two lifecycle stages.
• Created in collaboration with ICMR, RMRC-Bhubaneswar, NIMR, and DBT-NII.
• Lactococcus lactis, a safe food-grade bacterium platform, is used in production.
• The goal is to break the chain of transmission within communities and prevent malaria infection at the individual level.
• It seeks to offer protection against Plasmodium falciparum infections at the liver stage as well as those spread by mosquitoes.

Important attributes:
• Two-phase immunity: stops the spread and prevents infection by targeting the pre-erythrocytic and sexual stages.
• LongerStability: Helps with storage in tropical areas by remaining operational at room temperature for more than nine months.
• A broader immune response reduces immune evasion and enhances long-term protection by combining several antigens.
• Scalable production: It is safe and economical to manufacture because it uses the food-grade bacterium Lactococcus lactis.
• Model of licencing: ICMR will permit non-exclusive licencing, promoting both domestic and international production collaborations.

Importance:
• Establishes India as a pioneer in the development of indigenous vaccines against tropical diseases.
• Supports the Make in India initiative and India’s 2030 Malaria Elimination Roadmap.
• Potentially lowers the number of deaths from malaria, particularly in tribal areas where the disease is endemic.