Mymetics working on malaria vaccine

NYON, Switzerland Global warming is leading to the return of one of the most deadly viruses in history, malaria, and the biotech company Mymetics is working on a vaccine to help control the virus and thereby reduce its transmission.

So far, the vaccine has yielded very promising results from a Phase I study conducted in Europe and a Phase Ib study in Africa is currently ongoing with children. The company is also working on a new vaccine formulation that is aimed at inducing a broader immune response and is expecting to launch a Phase I study in Switzerland during the middle of next year.

Almost half a billion cases of malaria occur worldwide each year, with more than one million people dieing from the disease. Areas like Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Central and South America are the predominant areas for high malaria transmission, but with the increase in temperature due to global warming areas that were thought to be immune from a malaria threat like the United States and Europe are now seeing the virus beginning to make a comeback.